Governance
Board of Directors
Pierre Beaudoin
Director since 2005
Mr. Beaudoin is President and Chief Executive Officer of Bombardier Inc., a global transportation company that is the largest supplier of rail equipment, systems, and services, and the third largest manufacturer of civil aircraft in the world. He is also a director of Bombardier Inc. and of BRP Inc.
Mr. Beaudoin studied Business Administration at Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf and Industrial Relations at McGill University in Montréal. He joined the Bombardier group in 1985 and held the positions of President and Chief Operating Officer of Bombardier Aerospace from 2001 to 2008, and Executive Vice-President of Bombardier Inc. from 2004 to 2008. He was also President of Bombardier Business Aircraft and President and Chief Operating Officer of Bombardier Recreational Products.
Mr. Beaudoin was Co-Chair of the 2011 Centraide of Greater Montreal fundraising campaign.
Marcel R. Coutu
Director since 2011
Mr. Coutu is President and Chief Executive Officer of Canadian Oil Sands Limited and Chairman of Syncrude Canada Ltd., one of Canada’s largest oil sands projects. Prior to joining Canadian Oil Sands, Mr. Coutu was Senior Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer of Gulf Canada Resources Limited. He has more than 25 years of experience in the energy sector, primarily focused in the areas of corporate finance, investment banking, mining, and oil and gas exploration and development.
Mr. Coutu is a director of Great-West Lifeco and its wholly owned subsidiaries, Great-West Life and Canada Life. He is also a director of Brookfield Asset Management Inc.
He holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Geology from the University of Waterloo and an MBA from the University of Western Ontario. Mr. Coutu is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists (APEGGA) and a member of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives.
Mr. Coutu serves on the Pension and Compensation Committee of the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede Board.
Laurent Dassault
Director since 1997
Mr. Dassault is a vice-president of Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault, an investment and financing company based in Paris, France, and is in charge of the diversification of the group’s activities and investments. He oversees international investments in Asia, specifically in China and the Middle East, as well as in Italy and Switzerland.
He is also Chairman of the Immobilière Dassault Supervisory Board and a director of a broad range of companies in France and elsewhere, including SITA, Generali France, Kudelski, and the Banque Privée Edmond de Rothschild Europe in Luxembourg.
An art enthusiast, Mr. Dassault is an administrator for the auction house Artcurial. He also serves as a director of l’Association des Amis du Centre Georges Pompidou and of the Amis du Musée National d’Art Moderne in Paris, and is the Chairman for the Amis du Fond Régional d’Art Contemporain d’Aquitaine.
These mandates are supplemented by a personal commitment to One Drop, a non-profit organization whose goal is to raise awareness and implement projects for universal access to safe water, serving as Chairman of One Drop France.
Mr. Dassault holds a degree in Corporate Law from Université d’Assas, and is a graduate of the Paris ESLSCA Business School.
André Desmarais , O.C., O.Q.
Director since 1988
Mr. Desmarais is Deputy Chairman, President, and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Power Corporation, and Co-Chairman of Power Financial. Prior to joining Power Corporation in 1983, he was Special Assistant to the Minister of Justice of Canada and an institutional investment counsellor at Richardson Greenshields Securities Ltd.
He is a director of many Power group companies in North America, including Power Financial, Great-West Lifeco, Great-West Life, Great-West Life & Annuity, London Life, Canada Life Financial, Canada Life, Crown Life, Putnam Investments, IGM Financial, Investors Group, and Mackenzie Financial. He is also a director of Pargesa in Europe, and of CITIC Pacific Ltd. in Asia, in which Power Corporation holds a minority interest.
Over the years, cultural, health, and other not-for-profit organizations in Montréal have benefitted from his contributions, involvement, and dedication. He has played key roles in a number of fundraising campaigns, including those of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Montreal Heart Institute, Leucan, the Canadian Red Cross, the Canadian Cancer Society (The Daffodil Ball), and Centraide of Greater Montreal. He is a director of the Fondation Baxter & Alma Ricard, a member of the Chairman’s International Advisory Council of the Americas Society, Honorary Chairman of the Canada China Business Council, and a member of several China-based organizations.
He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Concordia University and received honorary doctorates from Concordia University and Université de Montréal. In 2003, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada and, in 2009, an Officer of the National Order of Québec.
The Honourable Paul Desmarais , P.C., C.C., O.Q.
Director since 1968
Mr. Desmarais acquired control of Power Corporation in 1968 and is presently Chairman of the Executive Committee. He is also a director of Power Financial and Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of Pargesa Holding, an international investment group based in Switzerland. He is also a director of Groupe Bruxelles Lambert. In addition, Mr. Desmarais serves as Director Emeritus of Great-West Lifeco and of IGM Financial, and holds directorships in Square Victoria Communications Group and La Presse ltée.
Mr. Desmarais is a major contributor towards community services, education, and the arts. In 1986, he founded the Société d’Investissement Jeunesse, an initiative offering financing and technical support for young people starting a business. In the 1990s, he served as Honorary Chair of the University of Ottawa’s $226-million Campaign for Canada’s University fundraising campaign. He is Founding Chairman of the Canada China Business Council.
Mr. Desmarais is a member of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada, a Companion of the Order of Canada, an Officer of the National Order of Québec, a Grand’Croix de l’Ordre national de la Légion d’honneur (France), and a Commandeur de l’Ordre de Léopold II (Belgium). He obtained a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Ottawa, and he holds honorary degrees and distinctions from 13 Canadian universities.
Paul Desmarais, Jr. , O.C., O.Q.
Director since 1988
Mr. Desmarais is Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Power Corporation and Co-Chairman of Power Financial. Prior to joining Power Corporation in 1981, he was with S.G. Warburg & Co. in London, England, and with Standard Brands Incorporated in New York.
He is a director of numerous Power group companies in North America, including Power Financial, Great-West Lifeco, Great-West Life, Great-West Life & Annuity, London Life, Canada Life Financial, Canada Life, Crown Life, Putnam Investments, IGM Financial, Investors Group, and Mackenzie Financial. He is also Vice-Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of Pargesa, and a director of Groupe Bruxelles Lambert, GDF Suez, Total, and Lafarge.
Mr. Desmarais is a member of the International Council and a director of the European Institute of Business Administration (INSEAD), Chairman of the Board of Governors of the International Economic Forum of the Americas, and a trustee and Co-Chair of the International Advisory Council of the Brookings Institution in Washington. He is the founder and a member of the International Advisory Board of the McGill University Faculty of Management in Montréal and the founder and a member of the International Advisory Committee of École des hautes études commerciales (HEC) in Montréal.
Mr. Desmarais is also involved in various charitable and community activities in Montréal. He obtained a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University and an MBA from INSEAD, and he received honorary doctorates from Université Laval and the Université de Montréal. In 2005, he was named an Officer of the Order of Canada and, in 2009, an Officer of the National Order of Québec.
Guy Fortin
Director since 2010
Mr. Fortin has been a director and Vice-Chairman of the private investment and management company Sanpalo Investments Corporation (Sanpalo) since 1998. He is also a director and officer of several private corporations under the management of Sanpalo. Prior to joining Sanpalo in 2005, he was a senior partner at the law firm Ogilvy Renault and, before that, a partner at Stikeman Elliott.
He was a lecturer at McGill University’s Faculty of Law from 1983 to 2010, and was Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Canadian Tax Foundation, a Toronto-based taxation research and educational not-for-profit organization, from 1994 to 1995. He is also a director and officer of a number of foundations and charitable organizations, including the Baxter & Alma Ricard Foundation.
Mr. Fortin holds a Bachelor of Arts from Université de Montréal and a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Civil Law (B.C.L.) from McGill University.
Anthony R. Graham , LL.D.
Director since 2001
Mr. Graham is President and a director of Wittington Investments, Limited, an investment management company and the principal holding company of the Weston-Loblaw Group. Prior to joining Wittington, he held senior positions in Canada and the U.K. with National Bank Financial Inc. (formerly Lévesque Beaubien Geoffrion Inc.), a Montréal-based investment dealer.
Mr. Graham is Chairman and a director of President’s Choice Bank. He also serves on the boards of Power Financial and a private company in the Power group, as well as George Weston Limited, Loblaw Companies Limited, Graymont Limited, Brown Thomas Group Limited, De Bijenkorf B.V., Holt Renfrew & Co., Limited, and Selfridges & Co. Ltd.
Mr. Graham is active in the art and business community, as a board member of the Ontario Arts Foundation, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, the Council for Business and the Arts in Canada, St. Michael’s Hospital, and Luminato. He is the former Chairman of both Branksome Hall School and the Shaw Festival and is presently Chairman of each of their foundations.
Mr. Graham is a member of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives and the World Presidents’ Organization (WPO). He is also Honorary Colonel of the Royal Regiment of Canada. In 1995, he was recognized by the Financial Post as one of “Canada’s Top 40 Under 40,” and, in 1998, he was awarded the Government of Ontario Volunteer Service Award. In June 2007, he received an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Brock University.
Robert Gratton
Director since 1989
Mr. Gratton is currently Deputy Chairman of Power Corporation and a director of Power Financial. He joined Power Financial as President in 1989 and was named Chief Executive Officer in 1990. He served in these capacities until 2005, when he was appointed Chairman of the Board, a position he held until 2008.
He served as Chairman of the Board, Chairman of the Executive Committee, and a director of several Power group companies until 2008 and was also a director of Pargesa Holding until 2010.
Mr. Gratton began his career in 1966, as Assistant to the former Minister of Education and Deputy Premier of Québec, the Honourable Paul Gérin-Lajoie. In 1971, he joined Crédit Foncier Franco-Canadien. He was named Chief Operating Officer in 1975, and President and Chief Executive Officer in 1979. In 1982, he became Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of Montreal Trust.
Mr. Gratton is a member of the Harvard Business School Canadian Advisory Board. He served as a member of The Conference Board of Canada, The Conference Board, Inc., the C.D. Howe Institute, and The Trilateral Commission. He has been a director of a number of other companies, community organizations, and foundations.
Mr. Gratton holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, a Master of Laws from the London School of Economics, and a Bachelor of Laws degree from Université de Montréal.
Isabelle Marcoux
Director since 2010
Ms. Marcoux has been Vice Chair of the Board of Transcontinental Inc. since 2007 and Vice President, Corporate Development since 2004. In this latter role, she is responsible for the strategic planning process and mergers and acquisitions.
Between 1997 and 2004, Ms. Marcoux was Director, Mergers and Acquisitions, as well as Director, Legal Affairs and Assistant Corporate Secretary. Before joining Transcontinental, she was a lawyer at McCarthy Tétrault LLP.
Ms. Marcoux is also a member of the boards of George Weston Limited, Rogers Communications Inc., and the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal. As part of her social contributions, she is a member of the board of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and Chair of the Education Committee of the Museum. She is Co-Chair of the 2011-2015 major fundraising campaign of the Fondation Tel-jeunes and was Co-chair of the Grand Bal des Vins-Coeurs 2011 of the Montreal Heart Institute Foundation. She has been actively involved in a number of fundraising campaigns, such as the Fondation du maire de Montréal pour la jeunesse, the Montreal Children’s Hospital, Centraide and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.
In 2007, she was a recipient of Canada’s Top 40 under 40TM award, a national program which honours every year 40 Canadians under 40 who have reached a significant level of success in a private corporation, in the public service or as a member of a non-profit organization.
Ms. Marcoux holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Economics, and a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Law, both from McGill University. She has been a member of the Quebec Bar since 1995.
The Right Honourable Donald F. Mazankowski , P.C., O.C., A.O.E.
Director since 1996
Mr. Mazankowski is a director of Power Corporation and of Power Financial. He is also a senior advisor to Gowling Lafleur Henderson and a director of Atco Ltd. Mr. Mazankowski previously served as a director of several Power group companies in Canada, as well as a number of other companies in the communications, forestry, and oil sectors.
He was first elected to the House of Commons in 1968 and went on to serve as a member of the Parliament of Canada for 25 years. Mr. Mazankowski held several senior Cabinet positions, including Minister of Transport, Deputy Prime Minister, President of the Queen’s Privy Council, and Government House Leader. He held a number of other portfolios, including President of the Treasury Board, Privatization and Regulatory Affairs, Agriculture, and Finance. He retired from active politics in 1993.
While his main interests have been trade and economics, Mr. Mazankowski has also been involved in a number of other areas. In 1985, he helped establish the Don Mazankowski Scholarship Foundation, to help youth achieve their educational goals and aspirations. He is a past member of the University of Alberta’s board of governors, and he has chaired the Institute of Health Economics as well as the Canadian Genetic Diseases Network. In 2006, Mr. Mazankowski co-chaired the Advisory Committee on the Public Service of Canada.
He has received a number of awards and honours. In 2000, he was named an Officer of the Order of Canada, and in 2002, a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary International. Also in 2002, he received a Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal, in recognition of his significant contribution to Canada, and in 2003, Alberta’s highest honour, the Alberta Order of Excellence.
In 2010, as a tribute to his distinguished career as a parliamentarian, the Canadian Association of former Parliamentarians awarded him the “Lifetime Achievement Award.”
Mr. Mazankowski received an Honorary Doctor of Engineering degree from the Technical University of Nova Scotia in 1987, an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Alberta in 1993, and he was named a Distinguished Citizen and awarded an Honorary Arts degree from Grant MacEwan University in 2009.
Raymond L. McFeetors
Director since 2008
Mr. McFeetors has been Vice-Chairman of Power Financial and Chairman of the Board of Great-West Lifeco since 2008. He has been with the Great-West group of companies since 1968, most recently as President and Chief Executive Officer of Great-West Lifeco and a number of its major subsidiaries. He is also a director and Chairman of the Board of Great-West Life, London Life, Canada Life Financial, Canada Life, Crown Life, and Great-West Life & Annuity, and serves as a director of IGM Financial, Investors Group, Mackenzie Financial, and Putnam Investments.
Mr. McFeetors serves on the boards of directors of a number of national organizations in the health, education, cultural, and business sectors.
In 2002, Mr. McFeetors was appointed Honorary Colonel of The Royal Winnipeg Rifles and, that same year, was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Winnipeg and was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws by his alma mater in 2007. Mr. McFeetors is a CFA charterholder.
Jerry E.A. Nickerson
Director since 1999
Mr. Nickerson is Chairman of the Board of H.B. Nickerson & Sons Limited, a management and holding company based in North Sydney, Nova Scotia.
He is also a director of Power Financial as well as several Power group companies and their affiliates in North America, including Great-West Lifeco, Great-West Life, Great-West Life & Annuity, London Life, Canada Life Financial, Canada Life, Crown Life, and Putnam Investments. He also serves as an honorary director of the Bank of Montreal.
He has served on the boards of various organizations, federal and provincial Crown corporations, and other public and private companies. Mr. Nickerson holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Dalhousie University.
James R. Nininger , Ph.D.
Director since 2001
Dr. Nininger currently serves on the Board of Management of the Canada Revenue Agency. He also served on the board of directors of Canadian Pacific Railway Limited. He has been active in the not-for-profit sector having served on the boards of The Canadian Patient Safety Institute and the Community Foundations of Canada as well as the Board of Governors of The Ottawa Hospital. He served as chair of the board of directors on the Community Foundation of Ottawa. He is currently chair of the board of the Community for Excellence in Health Governance and also serves on the Leadership Development Advisory Board of the Banff Centre.
From 1978 to 2001, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of The Conference Board of Canada, one of Canada’s leading independent research institutes in the areas of economics, management, and public policy. In 2001, he received the Honorary Associate Award, The Conference Board of Canada’s highest honour. Prior to joining the Conference Board, Dr. Nininger had been an Associate Professor on the faculty of the School of Business at Queen’s University and before joining Queen’s University, had taught at the Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario.
Dr. Nininger holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Ottawa, an MBA from the University of Western Ontario, and a Ph.D. in Industrial Relations from the University of Michigan. In 1999, he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Ottawa.
R. Jeffrey Orr
Director since 2005
Mr. Orr was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Power Financial in 2005. He also serves as a director of Power Financial and a number of Power group subsidiaries, including Great-West Lifeco, IGM Financial, London Life, Canada Life Financial, Crown Life, Putnam Investments, Investors Group, and Mackenzie Financial. He chairs various Executive, Investment, Compensation, and Governance and Nominating Committees of several of these companies and their affiliates. Mr. Orr is Chairman of the Board of IGM Financial, Putnam Investments, Investors Group, and Mackenzie Financial.
Mr. Orr started his career in 1981 with Nesbitt Thomson, a predecessor firm to BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc. He rose quickly through the ranks to become Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc. and Vice-Chairman of the Bank of Montreal’s Investment Banking Group. He joined the Power group of companies in 2001 as President and Chief Executive Officer of IGM Financial.
Mr. Orr is active in a number of other community and business organizations. He was Co-Chair of the 2009 Centraide (United Way) of Greater Montreal Campaign, and he is a member of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives.
Mr. Orr holds a Bachelor of Arts - Honors Business Administration (HBA) degree from the Richard Ivey School of Business in London, Ontario.
Robert Parizeau
Director since 1985
Mr. Parizeau is Chairman of Aon Parizeau Inc., insurance brokers and risk consultants. He is also a director of National Bank Life Insurance Company and SCOR Canada Reinsurance Company. He served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Sodarcan Inc. until 1997, as Chairman of the Board of Gaz Métro Inc. from 1997 to 2007, and as a director of Van Houtte Inc. from 2002 to 2007. Mr. Parizeau was also a director of the National Bank of Canada for over 20 years.
Mr. Parizeau has a great interest in governance matters; he is the Lead Director of the Institute for Governance of Private and Public Organizations, as well as a director of the Institute of Corporate Directors and of its Québec Chapter. He is also very involved in cultural and charitable organizations, notably the Fondation du Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, the International Festival of Films on Art, and the Fondation Lionel-Groulx. Along with his wife, he created the Monique and Robert Parizeau Foundation to reward artists in the field of printmaking and sculpture. He was the Chairman of the Clinical Research Institute of Montreal from 1997 to 2004.
Mr. Parizeau holds a Commerce degree from École des hautes études commerciales (HEC) of Montréal, and he received an honorary doctorate from Université de Montréal in 2004. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2004 Director of the Year for Québec Korn/Ferry-Revue Commerce Award and the 2006 Fellowship Award of the Institute of Corporate Directors. In 2010, he was named Director Emeritus of the Collège des administrateurs de l’Université Laval.
Michel Plessis-Bélair , FCA
Director since 1988
Mr. Plessis-Bélair is Vice-Chairman of Power Corporation since 2008. Previously, he was Vice-Chairman and Chief Financial Officer of Power Corporation and Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer of Power Financial.
He is a director of several Power group companies in both North America and Europe, including Great-West Lifeco, Great-West Life, Great-West Life & Annuity, London Life, Canada Life Financial, Canada Life, Crown Life, IGM Financial, Investors Group, Mackenzie Financial, Pargesa, Groupe Bruxelles Lambert, and La Presse ltée. Mr. Plessis-Bélair is also a director of Lallemand Inc., Université de Montréal, and Hydro-Québec, and is a member of the International Advisory Board of École des hautes études commerciales (HEC) of Montréal.
Mr. Plessis-Bélair is a Fellow of the Québec Order of Chartered Accountants. He holds a degree in Business and Accounting and a Master of Business from HEC, an MBA from Columbia University, and a Bachelor of Arts from Université de Montréal.
John A. Rae , C.M.
Director since 1988
Mr. Rae has been Executive Vice-President, Office of the Chairman of the Executive Committee of Power Corporation since 1996. Previously, he served as Executive Vice-President, Office of the Chairman of Power Corporation from 1991, and as Vice-President from 1978. He joined Power Corporation in 1971 as Executive Assistant to the President and Chief Executive Officer. He also holds directorships of Fednav Limited, BNP Paribas (Canada), McGill University Health Centre Foundation, and the Montreal Heart Institute Foundation.
From 1967 to 1971, he served as Executive Assistant to the Right Honourable Jean Chrétien, who entered the Cabinet in 1967, becoming Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development in 1968. Mr. Rae was National Campaign Chairman for Jean Chrétien’s 1984 and 1990 leadership campaigns, and Coordinator of the National Campaign of the Liberal Party of Canada for the 1993, 1997, and 2000 elections.
Mr. Rae’s community involvement includes serving as Chair of the McGill University Health Centre’s (MUHC) Best Care for Life Campaign. He is also Chair Emeritus of the Board of Trustees of Queen’s University.
Mr. Rae graduated with an Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Political Studies and Economics from Queen’s University in 1967. He was named to the Order of Canada in 2006. He was awarded a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa degree from McGill University in 2011.
Henri-Paul Rousseau , Ph.D.
Director since 2009
Mr. Rousseau has been a Vice-Chairman of Power Corporation and of Power Financial since 2009. He is also a director of several Power group companies, including Great-West Lifeco, Great-West Life, Great-West Life & Annuity, London Life, Canada Life Financial, Canada Life, Crown Life, IGM Financial, Investors Group, Mackenzie Financial, and Putnam Investments. He is a member of the board of directors of the Global Financial Markets Association.
Previously, he held the position of President and Chief Executive Officer of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec. Prior to that, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Laurentian Bank of Canada, and served as Vice-Chairman and President and Chief Executive Officer of Boréal Assurances Inc., as well as Senior Vice-President of the National Bank of Canada.
Mr. Rousseau obtained a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Western Ontario in 1973. In recognition for his contributions as an economist, accomplished manager, and involved citizen, he was awarded honorary doctorates from Concordia University, Université Lumière Lyon 2, Université Laval, and Université de Sherbrooke. In 2006, he was named a “Great Montrealer” by the Board of Trade of Metropolitain Montreal’s Academy of Great Montrealers. He was a professor of Economics at both Université Laval and Université du Québec à Montréal. He is Chairman of the Montreal Heart Institute Foundation and is active in a number of community and not-for-profit organizations in the sectors of health and education.
T. Timothy Ryan, Jr.
Director since 2011
Mr. Ryan is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA), the leading trade association representing global financial market participants, and Chief Executive Officer of the Global Financial Markets Association (GFMA), SIFMA’s global affiliate. Mr. Ryan is also a director of Power Financial, Great-West Lifeco, Putnam Investments, Great-West Life & Annuity, Lloyds Banking Group, Lloyds TSB Bank, HBOS, the Bank of Scotland, and the United States-Japan Foundation.
Prior to joining SIFMA, Mr. Ryan held a number of senior appointments with J.P. Morgan from 1993 to 2008, including Vice-Chairman, Financial Institutions and Governments, and Managing Director.
He is a private sector member of the Global Markets Advisory Committee for the U.S. National Intelligence Council (NIC). From 2002 to 2004, Mr. Ryan was a member of the U.S.-Japan Private Sector/Government Commission with responsibility for Corporate Restructuring and the NPL workout, and from 2000 to 2004, he served as a board member and Chairman of the Audit Committee at KorAm Bank in Seoul, Korea.
Before joining J.P. Morgan, Mr. Ryan was the Director of the Office of Thrift Supervision, U.S. Department of the Treasury, where he served as the principal manager of the savings and loan cleanup that involved closing approximately 700 insolvent institutions, improving capital bases, and selling over $300 billion of assets.
Mr. Ryan is a graduate of Villanova University and the American University Law School. He served as an officer in the U.S. Army from 1967 to 1970.
Emőke J.E. Szathmáry , C.M., O.M., Ph.D., FRSC
Director since 1999
Dr. Szathmáry is President Emeritus and a professor in the Department of Anthropology and the Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics at the University of Manitoba. She was President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Manitoba from 1996 to 2008, Provost and Vice-President (Academic) of McMaster University in Hamilton from 1994 to 1996, and, before that, Dean of the Faculty of Social Science of the University of Western Ontario in London. Dr. Szathmáry is a director of Power Corporation and Power Financial as well as of several Power group companies in North America, including Great-West Lifeco, Great-West Life, London Life, Canada Life Financial, Canada Life, and Crown Life.
Dr. Szathmáry is a distinguished scholar, teacher, scientist, and administrator. She is a director of the International Institute for Sustainable Development, the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, and the CancerCare Manitoba Foundation. As well, she is a member of the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, and the Board of Governors of McMaster University. Dr. Szathmáry has also served as a director of numerous educational, research, and philanthropic not-for-profit organizations, including the St. Boniface General Hospital, the Manitoba Museum Foundation, the Manitoba Medical Service Foundation, the Prime Minister’s Advisory Committee on Science and Technology, and the Board of Governors of the University of the Arctic.
Dr. Szathmáry received a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto. In addition to receiving the Lieutenant Governor’s Medal for Excellence in Public Administration in Manitoba, she has been awarded five honorary doctorates in recognition of her research and contribution to higher education. Dr. Szathmáry is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and a Member of both the Order of Canada and the Order of Manitoba.
The Corporation believes in the importance of good corporate governance and the central role played by directors in the governance process.
Power Corporation’s Board of Directors is composed of seasoned professionals who bring their diverse experience to the table. This balance of skills and competencies results in the prudent, conservative oversight that has enabled the Corporation to deliver attractive long-term shareholder returns.
To learn more about our Board of Directors, click on the names to the left to view each director’s biography.