OTTAWA and MONCTON – Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association president and CEO Bernard Lord is leaving the organization to become CEO of Moncton-based medical care insurance company Medavie.
Lord, who has served on the board of Medavie for eight years, was the successful candidate in a competitive national search process undertaken to replace the retiring CEO, the company said in the news release. He will continue at CWTA until August 31 and assume his new role effective September 1, 2016.
“We are thrilled that Bernard will become the new CEO of Medavie at this exciting time in our company’s history,” said Medavie chair of the board Michael Decter, in the release. “Bernard’s leadership, vision and track record of innovation make him the ideal leader to help Medavie strengthen its position and realise its full potential. He was chosen to lead Medavie in this pivotal role, providing strategic leadership to further Medavie’s vision to transform primary health care.”
Lord (pictured) has been with the CWTA for eight years, and is also the chair of Ontario Power Generation. He served as premier of New Brunswick from 1999 to 2006, and has worked with several corporations and non-profit organizations including as senior counsel with the law firm McCarthy Tétrault (2007-2008), Special Advisor with the McGill University Health Centre’s Institute for Strategic Innovation and Analysis (2007-2012) and North American Advisor with Alexander Proudfoot (2009-2015).
“I am looking forward to leading a dynamic national company with roots in Atlantic Canada and immense potential to improve health care delivery,” added Lord, in the release. “(CEO Pierre-Yves Julien) and the team have grown the organization to become a leader in the industry with a focus on innovation, and I want to build on that legacy.”
CWTA spokesperson Marc Choma said that Lord “will be greatly missed by CWTA and the entire wireless industry”.
“Over the past eight years, Bernard has worked tirelessly on behalf of the industry to ensure that Canadians remain at the forefront of experiencing the best that wireless can offer”, he told Cartt.ca. “As far as I know, the Board must now begin the search for new leadership, which will no doubt be a very laborious task in order to find someone with the passion and exceptional leadership skills that Bernard has consistently demonstrated during his time at CWTA.”
