Senior Leadership Team
Photo of Dr. Rahim Karim BSc, DC, MBA, CHE, ICD.D, President & CEO
President & CEO
Dr. Rahim Karim BSc, DC, MBA, CHE, ICD.D
As President & CEO of the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (CCNM), Dr. Rahim Karim B.Sc., DC, MBA, CHE, ICD.D brings an abundance of global leadership experience in the education and health sectors and an extensive background in complementary and integrative care.
At CCNM, Dr. Karim is responsible for providing high-level leadership and direction to all areas of the College, including delivery of the naturopathic program, clinical education, and research. Additionally, he acts as the liaison with the naturopathic profession’s various associations, licensing bodies, accreditation agencies and external partners.

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For over two decades, Dr. Karim has held a variety of progressive leadership and faculty roles including senior leadership positions. Most recently, he was Associate Vice President at Centennial College in Toronto with cross-functional strategic and academic institutional responsibilities. Prior to this, Dr. Karim served as Dean, School of Community and Health Studies at Centennial and was accountable for the academic quality and integrity of all health and community studies programming across three campuses including ancillary operations.
An award-winning administrator, educator and clinician, Dr. Karim has also operated successful multidisciplinary health clinics, published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at various local and international conferences. He has completed professional coursework in Medical Education (AMEE), Interprofessional Education (Toronto) and Strategic Decision and Risk Management (Stanford).
He has significant governance and external committee experience and is an active volunteer within the community. Dr. Karim is the recipient of the Sovereign's Medal for Volunteers (Canadian Honour) from the Governor General of Canada.
View Dr. Karim's installation as CCNM's 10th President & CEO
Photo of Dr. Nick De Groot, ND (non-clinical), M.Ed.
Dean
Dr. Nick De Groot, ND (non-clinical), M.Ed. (Class of 1998)
Dr. Nick De Groot, ND (non-clinical), M.Ed., is the Dean of the Doctor of Naturopathy degree program at the Toronto campus of the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (CCNM). As Dean, he is responsible for overseeing the naturopathic medical program and for ensuring that the teaching clinics at the Toronto campus meet the highest standards of clinical education and patient care.
In his role, he has overseen the development and integration of naturopathic care in a number of locations in Southern Ontario including the Peel Naturopathic Clinic which offers naturopathic care within the Brampton East Urgent Care Centre, as well as clinics in McMaster University, Seneca at York and the Queen West Community Health Centre.

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His previous roles at CCNM include Dean of Clinical Education, Associate Naturopathic Medical Officer and Assistant Professor of Integrated Clinical Studies. He was selected to be the educational representative for the transitional Council of the College of Naturopaths of Ontario which helped draft the regulations for the naturopathic profession in the province.
Nick holds a B.Sc. in molecular biology and genetics from the University of Toronto and his Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine from CCNM. He also completed his masters of higher education from the Ontario Institute of Studies in Education at the University of Toronto in 2021. He sits on a number of international working groups including the Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges and the World Naturopathic Federation.
From his many years as a naturopathic educator, his broader goal for professional education in Canada and globally is to develop naturopathic medicine through a lens of diversity and inclusivity. He sees naturopathic medicine as a sustainable part of community health care all over the world and is passionate about reducing barriers and supporting greater access to naturopathic education for both local and international students.
Photo of Trevor Ellis, MBA, CPA, Chief Financial Officer
Chief Financial Officer
Trevor Ellis, MBA, CPA
The Chief Financial Officer at CCNM, Trevor Ellis has an extensive background in financial and operational planning in both the corporate and not-for-profit sectors. Prior to joining the College in 2020, Trevor has worked in Canada and the UK in roles centred around supporting organizational infrastructure in the education, consumer protection and health fields.
Trevor is responsible for overseeing the financial, IT, facilities and advancement areas at the College. As a volunteer, Trevor sat on the board of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene based in London, UK and more recently joined the board of the Ontario Tourism Education Corporation.
Simone Philogène
Chief Enrolment, Marketing & Communications Officer; President, CCNM Press
Simone Philogène, MA
A member of the CCNM Senior Leadership Team, Simone provides executive leadership and oversight to recruitment, admissions, the Registrar’s Office, student life, marketing and communications and to CCNM Press & CCNM Enterprises. Simone has over 25 years of executive experience in not-for-profit, education and corporate roles both nationally and internationally. She has an MA from McGill University and BA (Hons.) from the University of Ottawa.
An active volunteer and board director, she is also the immediate past Chair of the Board of Crossroads International, an international development organization dedicated to advancing the rights of women and girls.
Photo of Reid Wildeman, M.Ed., Acting Executive Director - Director of Academic Affairs
Director, Campus Operations and Academic Affairs
Reid Wildeman, M.Ed.
Reid oversees campus operations and academic affairs at the CCNM-Boucher Campus. Reid has a master’s degree in educational leadership from Simon Fraser University and was most recently Director of Education for a private college in Vancouver. Reid has extensive experience in program evaluation, curricular design, and instructional supervision. Reid taught at the high school level for ten years and was a summer school Principal and Vice Principal for the final three. He has worked with a broad spectrum of learners, including at-risk students, international college students, mature learners and more.
Photo of Barbara Young, BA, Executive Director, Human Resources
Executive Director, Human Resources
Barbara Young, BA
As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, Barbara has provided expertise to the College community by leading the human resources department for over 17 years. Her focus has been on organizational development, change management, equity, diversity and inclusion, strategic planning, policy development and implementation, labour and employee relations. With a background in not-for-profit organizations, Barbara has focused her career on education and the arts.