OTTAWA, Dec. 16 /CNW/ - The Honourable Chuck Strahl, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, and the Honourable Rob Merrifield, Minister of State (Transport), today announced the appointment of Mr. Paul Smith of Toronto, Ontario, as chair of the board of VIA Rail Canada Inc. for a term of four years.
"Mr. Smith brings to the table four years' experience on VIA Rail's board of directors, as well as considerable financial and business acumen as a senior executive," said Minister Strahl.
"I am very pleased that Mr. Smith has accepted the position of chair of VIA Rail," said Minister Merrifield. "His broad knowledge, active engagement and notable track record as a board member will all be valuable assets to the corporation."
A fluently bilingual Franco-Manitoban, Mr. Smith holds a master of public administration from Carleton University and a master of business administration from INSEAD. He has undergraduate degrees in administration and political science from the University of Ottawa.
Mr. Smith is president and chief executive officer of the financial services firm Grey Horse Corporation, which he co-founded in 2004. Before this, he held various management positions within Bell Canada Enterprises, including that of chief financial officer of Bell Conferia Inc. Since joining VIA Rail's board of directors in September 2006, Mr. Smith has taken an active role in corporate planning, budgets and various strategic projects related to VIA Rail's passenger rail service.
VIA Rail Canada Inc., a Crown corporation, was created in 1977 and operates Canada's national passenger rail service. The board of directors is responsible for overseeing the business activities and other affairs of the corporation.
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For further information:
Robert Lynch
Office of the Minister of State (Transport)
Rob Merrifield, Ottawa
613-991-0700
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