O'Brien appointed new Chancellor

Business executive David O’Brien has been named chancellor of Concordia University for a three-year term, effective Jan. 1.

O’Brien is chairman of both the Royal Bank of Canada and EnCana Corporation, North America’s largest independent oil and gas company. He also serves on the boards of TransCanada Corporation, Fairmount Hotels & Resorts, Molson Coors Brewing Company and Inco Limited.

The appointment was announced Dec. 15 by Board chair Peter Kruyt and President Claude Lajeunesse.

“David’s career is remarkable for the diversity of organizations that have benefited from his vision,” Kruyt said. “He enjoys the highest regard of his peers in industry.”

President Claude Lajeunesse was delighted that O’Brien accepted the university’s invitation to be chancellor. David is a former Montrealer and a graduate of one of our founding institutions, Loyola College.

“He is a wonderful role model for our students. Aside from his success in the corporate sector, he has lent his talents to numerous educational, community and philanthropic initiatives.

“We are fortunate to have been able to attract a person of his calibre to continue the wise counsel and commitment that Eric Molson has shown as our chancellor over the past 12 years.”

O’Brien started his career as a lawyer at Ogilvy Renault in Montreal. He held various management positions at Petro-Canada from 1978-1989, and rose to executive vice-president.

He was chief executive officer of Canadian Pacific from 1996 until 2001, and in 2002 negotiated the merger of PanCanadian Energy and Alberta Energy to create EnCana.

He has been the chairman of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers and was chairman of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives (formerly the Business Council on National Issues).

He served on the board of the University of Calgary for six years, from 1997 to 2003. He has received two honorary degrees, one from Bishop’s University and one from Mount Royal College in Calgary. In 1998, he received the CESO (Canadian Executive Service Organization) Award for community involvement.

He received the 2001 Distinguished Business Leader joint award of the University of Calgary and the Calgary Chamber of Commerce. In May 2004, he was inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame.

Chancellor is an honorary post, notable for a central role in such occasions as convocation ceremonies. Concordia has had five previous chancellors: Harry J. Hemens (1974-1981), Earle W. McLaughlin (1982-1986), Alan B. Gold (1987-1992), Jeanne Sauvé (1992-1993) and Eric Molson (1993-2005).