Maureen Sabia, Chairman of the Board, Canadian Tire Corporation
Corporate Power Player
For a woman who does not believe in a balanced life, Maureen Sabia has managed to make a challenging and hard working life for herself, enjoying herself immensely along the way. As a lawyer and an experienced corporate director, her leadership abilities, her understanding of organizational and strategic issues, and very importantly, relationship issues, has led her to being named Chairman of the Board of a major public company, Canadian Tire Corporation. This is a position that fewer than 5 women hold in major Canadian corporations. She has also served as Chairman of the Export Development Corporation (Export Development Canada). She has served on six other major Boards of Directors and chaired a number of Audit Committees. She is currently the Chairman of the Departmental Audit Committee at Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, and Vice- Chairman of The Public Accountants Council for the Province of Ontario. As Chairman of the Board, she believes very strongly in the huge advantages to be obtained by creating, nurturing and sustaining productive and effective relationships with both management, and her colleagues on the Board. Time consuming, but necessary to an effective boardroom dynamic, she says. Maureen meets her challenges with a passionate commitment to her high standards, and the strength of her leadership abilities. Join us as Maureen shares lessons of achievement and her definition of success.
[hdplay playlistid=23 width=500 height=375 ]
To continue to view the speech, click the arrow to the right of the video screen.
BIO
Born in Montreal, Quebec, Maureen Sabia holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English and History from McGill University and a Juris Doctor degree from the Faculty of Law, University of Toronto. She was called to the Bar of the Province of Ontario and is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada.
Maureen began her career with the Ontario Securities Commission. She was subsequently named Assistant Counsel to the Ontario Law Reform Commission and thereafter became Director of Research and Policy and Solicitor to the Board of OMERS.
Maureen left the public service for the private sector and worked for Canadian Pacific Limited in both Montreal and Toronto. She subsequently served as General Counsel for Redpath Industries.
Maureen has been the principal of her own consulting practice since 1986. Her work consists of assisting business with organizational and strategy issues. Since 1986, she has expanded her private sector experience into the boardroom.
Appointed to the Board of Directors of the Export Development Corporation in 1986, she served as Chairman of EDC’s Audit Committee from 1989 until her appointment as Chairman of the Board in 1991.
Maureen has been and continues to be a Director of several corporations.
She was appointed Chairman of the Board of Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited in March, 2007, after serving as Chairman of its Audit Committee, a member of its Management Resources and Compensation Committee and Chairman of its Social Responsibility Committee. She is a director of Canadian Tire Bank, where she serves as a member of the Audit Committee; and has been a director of O&Y Properties Corporation [1993-2005] where she served as Chairman of the Governance and Compensation Committee, and as a member of the Audit Committee; O&Y First PlaceTower Inc. [1993-2005] where she served as a member of the Audit Committee; Gulf Canada Resources Limited [1998-2001]; Hollinger Inc. [1996-2003]; Skyjack Inc. [2000-2001]; and Laurentian General Insurance Company Inc. [1988-1991].
Maureen is the Vice- Chairman of the Public Accountants Council for the Province of Ontario and has served as Chairman of its Audit Committee. She also serves as Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada Departmental Audit Committee.
Maureen has served on the Board of Governors of the University of Guelph, was the founder and first Chairman of the Women in Management Research Project at the University of Western Ontario, served on the Board of Trustees of Sunnybrook Medical Centre for many years and is a past Chairman of the Sunnybrook Medical Centre Foundation. She also serves on the Advisory Board of the Laura L. Sabia Education and Research Endowment at the University of Toronto. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of Brock University.
Maureen has recently co-authored (with James L. Goodfellow) a book on improving the effectiveness of Audit Committees. The Book is entitled “Integrity in the Spotlight –Opportunities for Audit Committees”. A second edition of the book was published in March 2005 and is entitled “Integrity in the Spotlight – Audit Committees in a High Risk World