Notification of appointment, Vice-Principal (Administration and Finance)

I am pleased to announce that the Board of Governors, at its May 22 meeting, approved the appointment of Mr. François R. Roy as Vice-Principal (Administration and Finance), effective June 4, 2007.

Mr. Roy brings great expertise to McGill in the management of complex financial and administrative files. His appointment will enable McGill to continue building on its tradition of rigorous financial oversight and open accountability to taxpayers, students, faculty, and private and public sector partners.

As Vice-Principal (Administration and Finance), Mr. Roy will report to the Principal and will be the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Administrative Officer of the University. He will be responsible for the management of Financial Services, Human Resources and University Services. These functions are critical to the achievement of our objective of continuing to rank among the world's top publicly funded universities. McGill's ability to meet its responsibilities to students, faculty and stakeholders is to a large extent dependent on its ability to make the optimal use of its resources through effective planning and efficient day-to-day administration.

Mr. Roy has a distinguished record of success in the financial sector and is a strong supporter of arts and culture. He holds two degrees from the University of Toronto (BA and MBA). He began his career in the banking sector in the early 1980s at the Bank of Nova Scotia. He then joined the Société générale de financement du Québec, acting as Director of Finance from 1986 to 1990. He held the position of Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President at Quebecor Inc. from 1990 to 2000, save for a brief term at Avenor Inc. as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer from 1997 to 1998. Mr. Roy was then Chief Financial Officer at Télémedia until its dissolution in 2003. He currently sits on the administrative boards of numerous public corporations and the advisory boards of several private companies. He has served on the boards of several not-for-profit organizations, including the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Canadian Centre for Architecture, the International Festival of Art Films and L'Opéra de Montréal.

Mr. Roy succeeds Morty Yalovsky, who served the university with distinction as VP Administration and Finance from October 1999 until December 2006. Professor Yalovsky, who is currently on academic leave, will be returning to his academic position in the Faculty of Management in 2008.

I invite you to welcome Mr. Roy to his new position and join me in offering him our support as we serve our students and the people of Quebec, Canada and beyond in working toward our most noble objectives.

Yours sincerely,

Heather Munroe-Blum
Principal and Vice-Chancellor