Pierre Boivin named 21st Chancellor of McGill University
The Board of Governors of McGill University approved the nomination of Pierre Boivin as the University’s 21st Chancellor. Mr. Boivin has been appointed for a three-year term, beginning on July 1, 2024. He will succeed Chancellor John McCall MacBain, whose current term will end on June 30, 2024. His nomination stems from a rigorous process that was launched last summer by the Nominating, Governance and Ethics Committee.
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.
Selected for his longstanding leadership in Quebec’s charitable and business sectors, as well as his exceptional ability to represent McGill with eloquent passion and grace, Mr. Boivin is currently the Vice-Chair of the Board of Claridge Inc., after having completed a twelve-year mandate as president and CEO of the private investment firm headquartered in Montreal. He is also well known to hockey fans as the former president of the Montreal Canadiens Hockey Club, a position he held from 1999 to 2011. He has chaired several foundations and fundraising initiatives in support of children and youth – notably as founder of the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation in 2000, and co-chair of the Fondation CHU Sainte-Justine from 2006 to 2012, and co-chair of the $255 million Plus mieux guérir campaign from 2013 to 2018.
“Pierre Boivin's commitment to service and his entrepreneurial spirit make him the ideal candidate to serve as McGill's 21st Chancellor. We are fortunate to have a leader of his calibre join the University in this capacity and look forward to working with him in the years ahead,” said Maryse Bertrand, Chair of the McGill Board of Governors.
Mr. Boivin is chair of the boards of Metro Inc. and Solotech, and is a member of the boards of the National Bank of Canada and Groupe CH. In 2017, he became the founding chair of the Board of Mila – Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, a partnership between Université de Montréal and McGill University, whose community features one of the world’s largest concentration of deep learning academic researchers globally.
In recognition of his many contributions to society he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2009, named “most socially committed top executive” by Les Affaires in 2015, and appointed a knight of the Ordre national du Québec in 2017.
“Through his life and work, Pierre Boivin has made outstanding contributions across the domains of business, sports and entertainment in Quebec. I am confident that, in his role as Chancellor of McGill, he will serve our University with the same degree of commitment and integrity, reflecting our values and advancing our mission in all that he does,” said Deep Saini, president and vice-chancellor of McGill.
“I am honoured to have been selected as chancellor of McGill University,” said Mr. Boivin. “I look forward with great enthusiasm to serving McGill and its exceptional community of students, faculty, staff and alumni, in Quebec, Canada and around the world.”
About McGill University
Founded in Montreal, Quebec, in 1821, McGill University is Canada’s top ranked medical doctoral university. McGill is consistently ranked as one of the top universities, both nationally and internationally. It is a world-renowned institution of higher learning with research activities spanning three campuses, 11 faculties, 13 professional schools, 300 programs of study and over 39,000 students, including more than 10,400 graduate students. McGill attracts students from over 150 countries around the world, its 12,000 international students making up 30% of the student body. Over half of McGill students claim a first language other than English, including approximately 20% of our students who say French is their mother tongue.