October 17, 2015 – A new Board Chair was elected today at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s Annual General Meeting, held in the Nation’s Capital. David Paterson, a senior executive and Vice President at General Motors of Canada Limited, will take over from Michael McMullen, who had completed his one year term.
“David has served on the Canadian Chamber board for several years and the board of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce Board before that. In his career, he has led international public policy and communications for some of Canada’s largest technology, financial services and automotive manufacturing companies. David brings an excellent balance of experience and vision to the Board and the organization as a whole as we focus on ensuring the international competitiveness and success of Canadian business,” said Canadian Chamber President and CEO, the Hon. Perrin Beatty.
Mr. Paterson has served as First Vice-Chair under Mr. McMullen for the past year, giving him the experience to make the leap into his new role. In his professional life, Mr. Paterson leads Communications, Government and Environmental Relations at General Motors Canada and he works as part of GM’s global Public Policy and Communications teams.
“It is great to have David as Chair of the CCC at this time in our country’s history and even more special, David represents General Motors and Oshawa,” said Bob Malcolmson, CEO of the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce. “His extensive experience and strong relationships will be a great asset not only for the Chamber network but for the automotive sector in Ontario. David is a ‘True Chamber Champion’.”
Prior to joining GM in 2014, he was Senior Vice President, Government Relations & Public Policy at BlackBerry (formerly Research In Motion) where he led global government relations and public policy for the company. He led an international team responsible for public policy, regulatory advocacy and engagement in 175 countries, focused on trade impediments, export controls, market access, taxation, privacy, cyber security, patents and intellectual property, spectrum, cross border data flows, consumer protection, environment and safety. Mr. Paterson also previously served as Senior Vice President, Public Affairs at Manulife Financial.
“I’m glad to be passing the torch to David. His experience and dedication are exactly what the Chamber will need to face the challenges of the coming year, including advancing our priorities to a new government, supporting our network and building international success for Canadian companies,” said Mr. McMullen, who will remain on the Board as Past Chair.
David Paterson added, “I want to extend my congratulations to Michael McMullen on a fantastic year. So much has been accomplished, from releasing the Top 10 Barriers to Competitiveness to world-class reports like Aboriginal Edge, and ensuring the priorities of businesses were heard across Canada during the election campaign. These measures, and the policy resolutions being debated this weekend, will set the stage for how we will work with the new government. The Canadian Chamber also has an outstanding Board of Directors who will work closely with Chambers from all across Canada. We look forward to helping Canada compete and win, at home and internationally,” said Mr. Paterson.
“Michael has been very present in our activities of the past year. He provided strong leadership as Board Chair, and he is handing off an efficient and engaged Board to David. We’re tremendously grateful for all he’s done,and the staff and I look forwardto working with David over the coming year,” concluded Mr. Beatty. Mr. Paterson begins his one-year term immediately.
The composition of the 2015-2016 Canadian Chamber Board of Directors can be found here:
http://chamber.ca/about-us/board-directors/
