Minister Morneau Announces Appointments to the Royal Canadian Mint Board of Directors

News release

June 13, 2018 – Ottawa, Ontario – Department of Finance Canada

The Government of Canada is committed to an open, transparent and merit-based selection process for Governor in Council appointments—one that will result in highly qualified candidates able to best serve the interests of Canadians.

In keeping with this commitment, Finance Minister Bill Morneau today announced the appointments of Ms. Fiona L. Macdonald, Dr. Sandip K. Lalli and Dr. Gilles Patry to the Board of Directors of the Royal Canadian Mint. These appointments are for four years.

Ms. Macdonald serves as an Independent Director on the Board of GMP Capital, and is Chair of its Management Resources and Compensation Committee, as well as a member of its Audit Committee and Governance and Nominating Committee. She is also a Director at the BC Ferry Authority and the Chair of the BC Chapter of the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Dr. Lalli currently serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce. She is a veteran business strategist and senior executive professional with multifaceted experience as both an independent entrepreneur and an executive in international corporations in the agriculture, financial markets, and oil and gas industries.

Dr. Patry is the Executive Director of the U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities and the former President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canada Foundation for Innovation. Dr. Patry also served as President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ottawa.

Biographical Notes

Ms. Fiona L. Macdonald

Ms. Fiona L. Macdonald has had a successful career in professional services, building industry-leading consulting practices in Canada and the U.S. She is also a recognized expert in executive compensation.

She is an Independent Director on the Board of GMP Capital, and is Chair of the Management Resources and Compensation Committee, as well as member of both its Audit, and Governance and Nominating Committees. She is also a Director at the BC Ferry Authority.

She is the Chair of the BC Chapter of the Institute of Corporate Directors and is an accredited director with the ICD.D designation.

With over 28 years in consulting, Ms. Macdonald has worked with hundreds of companies in a wide range of industries. She has extensive experience in boardrooms, and in negotiations. She also has experience as a corporate and commercial banker.

Ms. Macdonald holds a BA in International Relations and an MBA from the University of British Columbia, and is a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Ms. Macdonald is currently based in Vancouver, BC.

Dr. Sandip K. Lalli, FCPA, ICD.D

Dr. Sandip Lalli is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce. Her global career has taken her from Alberta to Singapore and many other countries along the way.

She has been called upon to identify opportunities for growth and assess business risk. Known for her communication skills and visionary leadership, she has led in the face of adversity and seeming impossibility. International corporations have entrusted her with strategic planning and execution for some of their most important initiatives.

She has a firm belief that making a contribution to society is fundamental, and that the contribution she can make to society is rooted in a practical business sense: a belief that a contribution to a strong economy equates to a better quality of life for everyone.

For Cargill Incorporated—the largest global, privately held company providing food, agriculture, financial and industrial products and services to the world—she steered the financial management from High River, Alberta to operations in the United States, and advised colleagues in Brazil, Honduras, England, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Russia, Singapore, India, Papua New Guinea and Mexico.

Dr. Lalli holds an Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD.D) designation, a Doctorate in Business Administration and a Master's degree, and is a Fellow Chartered Professional Accountant.

Dr. Gilles Patry

Dr. Gilles Patry is Executive Director of the U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities, a collective of Canada's leading research-intensive universities designed to foster the development and delivery of long-term, sustainable higher education and research policy, in Canada and around the world.

Dr. Patry holds a B.A.Sc. and M.A.Sc. in civil engineering from the University of Ottawa, and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis. 

From 2010 to 2017, he was President and CEO of the Canada Foundation for Innovation, an independent corporation created by the Government of Canada to fund research infrastructure at universities, colleges and research hospitals. From 1993 to 2008, he successively served as Dean of Engineering, Vice-President (Academic), and President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ottawa. He began his career in 1971 as an environmental engineering consultant, before becoming professor of civil engineering, a position he held for 15 years, first at École Polytechnique de Montréal and later at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.

He has received honorary doctorates from the University of Waterloo, McMaster University, the University of Lyon and Western University.

Dr. Patry is a Member of the Order of Canada, a recipient of the Order of Ontario and a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering. He was named Executive of the Year in 2004 by the Regroupement des gens d'affaires de la Capitale nationale. In 2009, he was named Chevalier de l'Ordre de la Pléiade by the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie.

Quotes

"I wish to congratulate the candidates on their successful appointments to the Board of Directors of the Royal Canadian Mint. Their diverse backgrounds and extensive experience will be an asset to the Board, and I wish them great success in these new roles."

Bill Morneau, Minister of Finance

Quick facts

  • The Royal Canadian Mint is the Crown corporation responsible for the minting and distribution of Canada's circulation coins.

  • The Mint is recognized as one of the largest and most versatile mints in the world, offering a wide range of specialized, high quality coinage products and related services on an international scale.

Associated links

Contacts

Media may contact:

Daniel Lauzon
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Finance
daniel.lauzon3@canada.ca
613-286-4285

Media Relations
Department of Finance Canada
fin.media-media.fin@canada.ca
613-369-4000

General Enquiries
Phone: 613-369-3710
Facsimile: 613-369-4065
TTY: 613-369-3230
E-mail: fin.financepublic-financepublique.fin@canada.ca

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