Michael Wilson re-elected chancellor
Published: January 27, 2015
The Honourable Michael H. Wilson has been re-elected to serve a second term as chancellor of the University of Toronto.
“It is a very great privilege to serve as chancellor of my alma mater, the University of Toronto,” said Chancellor Wilson. “Our brilliant students, alumni, faculty, and staff are a constant source of inspiration, and it is immensely enjoyable to support them in their work and to celebrate their accomplishments. I am very grateful to the College of Electors for their confidence in me.”
The chancellor is elected by the alumni's College of Electors, and is eligible for re-election for one additional three-year term to a total of six years, the maximum service length permitted by the University of Toronto Act, 1971. Chancellor Wilson’s first term began officially on July 1, 2012. He is the University’s 33rd chancellor since its founding in 1827.
“Chancellor Wilson has, in his first term, exceeded the College’s expectations in his own exceptional way,” said Scott MacKendrick, chair of the College of Electors. “He has engaged with alumni all over the world and is an exemplary candidate for re-election by the College.”
Michael Wilson is currently chairman of Barclays Capital Canada Inc., and has an extensive and prolific record in Canadian and international investment banking. He is known nationally and around the world for his accomplishments in public life, including his service as Minister of Finance and Minister of Industry, Science and Technology and Minister for International Trade, and his tenure as Canada’s ambassador to the United States. Among his many volunteer leadership positions, at present he is vice-chair of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and honorary chair of Brain Canada. He is widely respected as a tireless champion of mental health awareness and research and in particular as a long-standing, key volunteer for the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. He was also instrumental in establishing the Cameron Parker Holcombe Wilson Chair in Depression Studies at the University of Toronto.
As the ceremonial head of the University, the chancellor presides at convocations, confers university degrees and acts as ambassador to its more than 540,000 graduates worldwide and to the wider community. The chancellor also plays an essential role in advancing the University's interests in the local, provincial, national and international arenas.
“Michael Wilson’s service as chancellor has been distinguished by his extraordinary loyalty and dedication,” said Meric Gertler, president of the University of Toronto. “His marvellous record of leadership in public life, business and not-for-profit work is both an inspiration and a tremendous asset to the University community. I am delighted that the College of Electors has re-elected him to a second term, and I look forward to continuing to work with him in advancing the University’s teaching and research missions.”
“Chancellor Wilson continues to demonstrate his passion for and commitment to the University,” said Judy Goldring, chair of the University’s Governing Council. “He has a genuinely warm and welcoming approach and has made a consistently positive impact on those with whom he has come in contact.”
Mr. Wilson is a Companion of the Order of Canada and holds honorary degrees from the University of Toronto, Trinity College at U of T, York University, the University of Calgary and the Royal Military College of Canada. An alumnus of Trinity College, he graduated with a bachelor of commerce degree in 1959.
