New Chair, Six Board Members Appointed

Innovation, Energy and Mines Minister Dave Chomiak, minister responsible for Manitoba Hydro, today announced that Bill Fraser has been appointed the new board chair of Manitoba Hydro and that six other Manitobans will join the board.

“Manitoba Hydro is known as a leader in clean, renewable energy and Bill Fraser brings a wealth of management experience to the table from his many years of public service,” said Chomiak.  “Bill will work closely with Hydro’s new CEO and all of Manitoba Hydro’s board members to build our publically owned power company for the benefit of all Manitobans and will keep rates low for families.”

Fraser is vice-chair of the board of the St. Boniface Hospital Foundation, former president of Manitoba Telecom Services and a chartered accountant.  He has served on the board of Manitoba Hydro since 2006.

The Manitoba Hydro board comprises a diverse group of people and the new board members will add further strength to the board, each offering a wide range of experience, said the minister.

The new board members are:

David Crate, chief, Fisher River Cree Nation;

Tina Keeper, actor, former member of Parliament;

Eugene Kostyra, former Manitoba finance minister;

Dudley Thompson, principal architect, Prairie Architects;

Larry Vickar, president, Vickar Community Chevrolet, and head, Vickar Automotive Group; and

Frank Whitehead, MLA, The Pas.

These new board members replace outgoing members.  The remaining experienced board members are James Husiak, a chartered accountant with the Exchange Group; John Loxley, professor of Economics at University of Manitoba; Michael Spence, mayor of Churchill; and Leslie Turnbull, a partner in Viewpoints Research.

The minister noted Scott Thomson, the former chief financial officer for FortisBC, will start as the new president and CEO of Manitoba Hydro later this month.

“I want to thank Bob Brennan, Vic Schroeder and the other outgoing board members for their valuable leadership over the years.  They should be very proud of their accomplishments.  They have played an important role in building and strengthening and our largest Crown corporation and laying the foundations for an even brighter future.”

Brennan has worked his entire professional career at Manitoba Hydro, where he has also served as Senior Vice-President, Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer. His tenure as President and CEO began in 1990. Since his appointment, Brennan has overseen significant growth as Manitoba Hydro fulfilled its mandate to provide affordable and reliable energy to Manitobans in every corner of the province. He leaves office as the corporation experiences its strongest financial position in its history.

Bob Brennan will retire from Manitoba Hydro after 47 years next week.

Among his many accomplishments, Bob Brennan has been instrumental in strengthening Manitoba Hydro’s relations with northern Manitoba communities, establishing profit-sharing agreements with Aboriginal peoples, increasing energy exports, introducing one of the most successful demand-management (Power Smart) programs in North America and building one of the most environmentally-responsible commercial buildings in the world – the corporation’s headquarters in downtown Winnipeg. Brennan also facilitated important acquisitions over the years, including Centra Gas, Winnipeg Hydro and the purchase of the DC line and converter equipment from the Government of Canada.

“Bob Brennan has dedicated his professional life to Manitoba Hydro and this province,” said Manitoba Hydro Board Chairman Vic Schroeder. “We are aware that replacing such an outstanding and visionary leader will be a challenge. But thanks to Bob’s leadership, Manitoba Hydro is well positioned to handle the transition. The corporation is moving into a new phase of its history as we embark on new infrastructure and export initiatives, and so the timing for new leadership is suitable.”