OTTAWA – The Competition Bureau has appointed economist John Pecman as the interim Commissioner of Competition for up to a one-year term. One of Pecman’s first major tasks will be to analyze and respond to the CRTC’s upcoming decision on Bell’s proposed purchase of Astral Media. He takes over from former commissioner Melanie Aitken, who left the bureau on Friday, with two years left in her mandate.
"With nearly 30 years of experience at the Bureau, Mr. Pecman has a keen understanding of competition law and marketplace conduct," said Christian Paradis, Minister of Industry, Minister of State (Agriculture) and Minister responsible for the Competition Bureau
Pecman has been with the Competition Bureau since 1984. He has worked in every enforcement branch of the Bureau and in a variety of increasingly senior investigator and manager positions. Since 2008, he has held the position of Senior Deputy Commissioner of Competition of the Criminal Matters Branch, and was responsible for enforcing the price-fixing and bid-rigging provisions of the Competition Act.
As Senior Deputy Commissioner, Pecman oversaw the Bureau's role in the retail gasoline cartel investigations in Ontario and Quebec. Under his leadership, the Criminal Matters Branch also works closely with foreign competition authorities in the enforcement of multi-jurisdictional cartel cases.
