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For: Success Stories

Alan Kerr – Chief Financial Officer and Vice President, Finance & Corporate for BC Lottery Corporation (BCLC)

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PFM Executive Search is pleased to announce that Alan Kerr has been appointed as the new Chief Financial Officer and Vice President, Finance & Corporate for BC Lottery Corporation (BCLC).

BCLC is a Crown corporation that conducts and manages lottery, eGaming, casino and bingo gambling on behalf of the Province of British Columbia. Since April 1, 1985 BCLC has generated more than $23 billion to support communities in British Columbia.

Through a successful career in the public and private sectors, as well as the Royal Canadian Navy, Alan brings to BCLC extensive experience in finance, operations and people management. He is currently the Vice President of Corporate Services and Chief Financial Officer for the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada, based in Ottawa.

PFM Executive Search is recognized as a leader in executive search and has been working with some of the most prominent Canadian private, public and not-for-profit sector clients over the past 27-years. We are known for our ability to recruit senior leaders from around the world to top management positions.

Adrian Scovell – President & CEO for Automotive Retailers Association (ARA)

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PFM Executive Search is pleased to announce that the Board of Directors of the Automotive Retailers Association (ARA) has chosen Adrian Scovell as the new President & Chief Executive Officer effective October 1st. As the Association’s next leader, Scovell will craft and execute a vision and strategy for the ARA that maintains its values of creating solutions while working collaboratively with stakeholders and driving its purpose of “igniting the engine of a vibrant BC economy.” Adrian joined the ARA in 2010 following a diverse career with some of Canada’s most respected companies—IKEA, Rogers Video, and Belron (parent to Speedy Glass). He moved through the ranks and built skills in operations, marketing, negotiations, and business development. Along the way, he won two Marketer of the Year awards, among others, and sat on several boards of various charities and working groups. Congratulations Adrian on being appointed following a comprehensive search process.

PFM Executive Search is a recognized leader in senior leadership recruitment and is known for its ability to facilitate large and complex Selection Committees in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. Over the past 27-years, PFM has recruited senior leaders from all over the world.

Kerry L. Simmons – Executive Director for The Canadian Bar Association of British Columbia (CBABC)

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PFM Executive Search is pleased to announce Kerry L. Simmons, QC as the new Executive Director of the Canadian Bar Association, BC Branch (CBABC). The Canadian Bar Association is the professional organization representing more than 38,000 lawyers, judges and law students across Canada with 7,000 members in British Columbia.

Kerry was called to the bar in 2000 and practiced with Cook Roberts LLP in Victoria, BC until 2018 in family law, risk management, employment law, commercial disputes, estate litigation, and professional negligence. She served on the firm’s management committee for four years.

Kerry joined CBABC in 1996 as a law student and became a member of the CBABC Executive Committee in 2008. She was CBABC President in 2012-13, leading the organization’s advocacy for legal aid funding. She also served on the Canadian Bar Association National Board, leading and developing its strategic, governance and financial changes for three years, culminating in her year as National President in 2017-18. Most recently, she co-chaired the CBA’s Truth & Reconciliation Task Force. With extensive knowledge of the association’s history, mandate, culture and operations, member services and its role in the justice system, CBABC’s new Executive Director brings over twenty-five years of leadership experience and training, formal education in supervision, management and governance, and a decade of management experience of business operations and volunteers.

PFM Executive Search is a recognized leader in senior leadership recruitment and is known for its ability to facilitate large and complex Selection Committees in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. Over the past 26 years, PFM has recruited senior leaders from all over the world.

Yale Loh – Treasurer for The University of British Columbia (UBC)

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PFM Executive Search is excited to announce that Yale Loh has accepted the position as The University of British Columbia’s (UBC) Treasurer. Yale joins UBC from Aritzia, where he served as Treasurer and was responsible for leading all treasury, retail accounting, and sales audit functions. Previously, Yale held positions with Finning International and Capital Power Corporation, along with progressively senior financial positions at BC Hydro, including five years as Treasurer.

Yale’s extensive treasury experience with private and public sector organizations will help the University continue to build strategic direction and leadership support for financial liquidity, capital financing, corporate borrowing, cash management, financial projects management, tax, leases, and revenue accounting on all UBC campuses. Yale currently serves his community as a member of the Finance Committee of the Board at West Point Grey Academy and the United Way of the Lower Mainland Campaign Cabinet, and has been an occasional guest lecturer at the UBC Sauder School of Business. Yale is a commerce graduate from UBC and earned an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management. Yale also holds his Chartered Financial Analyst and Chartered Professional Accountant designations.

PFM Executive Search is a recognized leader in senior leadership recruitment and is known for its ability to facilitate large and complex Selection Committees in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. Over the past 26 years, PFM has recruited senior leaders from all over the world.

New President and CEO of WorkSafeBC Announced

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One of British Columbia’s most visible and highly regarded organizations, WorkSafeBC, has completed an extensive international CEO recruitment process led by PFM Executive Search which worked closely with the Board of Directors of WorkSafeBC. Anne Naser has been named the new President and Chief Executive Officer.

Anne has been mostly recently at the British Columbia Investment Management Corporation where she served as the Senior Vice-President of Information Technology. Her knowledge of WorkSafeBC and its mandate is extensive having spent 20 years of her career with the organization.

“Anne Naser is a proven leader and innovator in occupational health and safety,” said Ralph McGinn, Chair of WorkSafeBC’s Board of Directors. “We are very pleased to have her leading WorkSafeBC as we strive to make B.C. the safest jurisdiction in Canada in which to work.”.

“I look forward to leading WorkSafeBC as the organization continues to evolve and innovate for the benefit of workers and employers in the province,” said Naser. “I’m excited to take on this important role as we endeavour to make workplaces safer, improve supports for injured workers, and ensure the financial sustainability of the system.”

Naser, who has a degree in economics from Simon Fraser University, previously held senior positions with Price Waterhouse Urwick and Canadian Airlines.

WorkSafeBC’s Board of Directors took a focused approach to finding the ideal candidate to lead the organization into the future — an individual noted for working in collaboration with a multitude of stakeholders, an ability to operationalize strategies and priorities with measurable outcomes, and a commitment to innovation and enhanced service delivery focused on people.

PFM Executive Search worked closely with the Chair and Board of Directors of WorkSafeBC, along with consultations led by PFM with various stakeholders. WorkSafeBC partners with workers and employers to prevent injury, disease, and disability in British Columbia and serves approximately 2.4 million workers and 238,000 employers across B.C.

This global search is another example of the high profile C-suite level work PFM Executive Search has conducted for more than 26-years. The firm is known for its ability to work effectively with Boards and Selection Committees in creating a proactive search process which creates a diverse slate of well qualified candidate for senior leadership roles. PFM worked with its international offices of Panorama Partners to ensure the outcome of this search matched the desire of the WorkSafeBC Board for a global outreach.