CPPIB makes changes to board of directors

The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments), an investment management organization, has appointed Dean Connor as the new chairperson of its board of directors and Nadir Mohamed as a new member of the board.

Connor succeeds Dr. Heather Munroe-Blum, who had taken up the role since 2014.

"I am deeply honoured to assume the role of chairperson and to build on Heather's outstanding leadership," said Connor.

Monroe-Blum’s final term as chairperson and director will expire in October. She was the third chairperson of CPP investments and has been on the board since 2010.

"I thank my fellow directors – past and present – for the privilege of serving alongside them for the past 12 years," said Monroe-Blum. “It has been my tremendous privilege to serve as chairperson of CPP Investments, and to count myself as one of many to contribute to this great institution.”

Who is Dean Connor?

Connor has more than four decades of experience in financial services and executive consulting. He was appointed to the board in 2021 and has previously served as president and CEO of Sun Life Financial Inc. (Sun Life), a financial services company, between 2011 and 2021.

While he was with Sun Life, he held senior roles such as head of Canadian operations and chief operating officer. Prior to that he had a 28-year tenure at a human resource consulting firm where he took up the role of president for the Americas until 2006. Currently, Connor is the chair of the board for the University Health Network in Toronto and is a member of the Ivey Advisory Board.

"Dean's long history of leadership, coupled with his extensive global experience in financial services makes him ideally suited to be an effective Chairperson for CPP Investments," said Monroe-Blum.

"The Board unanimously agrees that Dean's excellent reputation as a leader on our Board, his commitment to strong corporate governance and his extensive global experience will allow him to help lead the Board in its oversight duties in an exemplary fashion, helping guide CPP Investments as it grows to become a trillion-dollar fund,” she continued.

Connor’s appointment as chairperson will take effect on Oct 27.

Who is Nadir Mohamed?

With more than three decades of experience in telecommunications, finance, and technology, Mohamed is part of the board of Cineplex Inc. and is also the chair of Alignvest Management Corp. and DMZ Ventures.

“We are very pleased that Nadir Mohamed has joined the board of directors. His extensive business leadership experience, as well as expertise in the areas of stakeholder management, enterprise risk management, and cultivating talent, will bring valuable perspectives to our experienced board,” said Munroe-Blum.

Mohamed is also the retired president and chief executive officer of Rogers Communications Inc. He was also the co-founder of ScaleUp Ventures and was named a Member of the Order of Canada in 2019.

“Nadir's prior board experience with public, private, and not-for-profit companies positions him well to contribute to CPP Investments' high standards of corporate governance, in line with our long-term investment approach and our public purpose,” said Munroe-Blum