The Chancellor is the titular head of McGill University and an ex officio member of the Board of Governors. The Chancellor’s duties include presiding over Convocation and representing the University at official functions.
Chancellor's Biography
John McCall MacBain, a Canadian citizen from Niagara Falls, is the Founder and Chair of the McCall MacBain Foundation and President of Pamoja Capital SA, its investment arm. Since its formation in Geneva in 2007, the McCall MacBain Foundation has committed over $500 million of charitable donations for scholarships and education, health and the environment, especially climate change, in Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Africa.
From 1987 to 2006, Mr. McCall MacBain was the Founder, President and CEO of Trader Classified Media which was the world’s leading classified advertising company. Starting with the purchase of three small publications in Montréal in 1987 at age 29, he grew the Auto Trader and Buy and Sell businesses across Canada. He also developed classified advertising businesses with over 350 print titles and 50 internet sites in 24 other countries, including France, Argentina, USA, Mexico, Australia, Italy and Spain. After its IPO in 2000, Trader Classified Media was publicly traded on NASDAQ and the Paris Euronext Stock Exchange. In 2006, he successfully sold Trader Classified Media and set up the McCall MacBain Foundation.
Mr. McCall MacBain is a Rhodes Scholar and received an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, an M.A. in Law from the University of Oxford and an Honours BA in Economics from McGill University. He also holds honorary doctorates from McGill University, Dalhousie University, Monash University, the University of Ottawa and Brock University. At McGill University, he was President of the Students’ Society as well as Valedictorian. While at Oxford, he was Co-Captain of the Varsity-winning Oxford University Ice Hockey Club.
As President and CEO of Pamoja Capital, John runs a team of entrepreneurial investment professionals based in three offices across the globe. He currently devotes a significant amount of his time to philanthropic activities. In addition to his role as Chair of the McCall MacBain Foundation, he is also the Second Century Founder of the Rhodes Trust and was Chairman of the 110th Rhodes Anniversary (Oxford, England). He is also a Director of the Mandela Rhodes Foundation (Cape Town, South Africa). He is also a co-founder and the Founding Chair of the European Climate Foundation. Mr. McCall MacBain is currently the Chancellor of McGill University. Mr. McCall MacBain is an Officer of the Order of Canada.
Mr. McCall MacBain is an avid skier, ice hockey player, cyclist, swimmer and has completed four marathons. He is also a commercial land and seaplane pilot.