OTTAWA, June 12, 2006 The Board of Directors of Export Development Canada (EDC) announced today the appointment of Eric Siegel, EDC's Chief Operating Officer (COO), as Acting President. The appointment follows the departure of Rob Wright, who has now assumed the role of Deputy Minister, Department of Finance.
"The Board is pleased to announce that EDC's COO Eric Siegel will assume the interim leadership of the Corporation, a move that will maintain our continued evolution in customer focus," said Paul Gobeil, Chairman of EDC's Board of Directors. "Mr. Siegel's breadth of experience at EDC and his extensive knowledge of the day to day operations will ensure the fulfillment of EDC's corporate plan."
Mr. Siegel joined EDC in 1979 and served in increasingly senior roles focused initially on EDC's lending programs. In 1988, he became General Manager for EDC's Medium-Term Insurance programs. After leading an extensive corporate restructuring between 1993 and 1995, Mr. Siegel was appointed Senior Vice-President of Medium- and Long-Term Financial Services and subsequently Executive Vice-President in 1997. Mr. Siegel was named Chief Operating Officer in September 2005, assuming overall leadership for EDC's core business teams.
Mr. Siegel has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto, a Master of Business Administration from York University, and has completed the Senior Executive Program at Columbia University.
EDC is Canada's export credit agency, offering innovative commercial solutions to help Canadian exporters and investors expand their international business. EDC's knowledge and partnerships are used by 7,000 Canadian companies and their global customers in up to 200 markets worldwide each year. EDC is financially self-sustaining and is a recognized leader in financial reporting, economic analysis and human resource management.
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Media contact: Phil TaylorPublic AffairsExport Development Canada (613) 598-2904ptaylor@edc.ca
