Prime Minister appoints new Commissioners to the Public Appointments Commission

Prime Minister Stephen Harper was pleased to announce today the appointments of Hassan Khosrowshahi, Roy MacLaren and Jacqueline Boutet as Commissioners to the Public Appointments Commission. 

Today’s announcement builds on the Prime Minister’s nomination on April 26, 2006 of Mr. Gwyn Morgan as the first Chairperson of the Public Appointments Commission.  Mr. Morgan’s proposed appointment will be reviewed by the Standing Committee of the House of Commons on Government Operations and Estimates on May 16, 2006. 

“Establishing the Public Appointments Commission is an important step toward a more open, honest and accountable government for Canadians,” said the Prime Minister.  “The Commissioners will ensure our appointments system is based on merit and is done in an open and transparent way.  And, they have agreed to work for a salary of $1 a year.”

The Commissioners will begin work on a Code of Practice to be completed by September 2006.

Biographical information is following.

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Gwyn Morgan

Gwyn Morgan, from Calgary, Alberta, is one of Canada's most distinguished business leaders.  A petroleum engineering graduate from the University of Alberta, he led the building of one of the world's leading oil and gas companies and Canada's largest energy company, EnCana Corporation. Mr. Morgan was founding President and Chief Executive Officer of EnCana from 2002 until stepping down on January 1, 2006.  Mr. Morgan has been recognized through numerous awards and honorary distinctions, including being named Canada's most respected CEO in 2005 in a survey conducted by Ipsos Reid of 250 business leaders in Canada.  An inductee to the Alberta Business Hall of Fame, he has served on the Boards of a number of organizations in the private and not for profit sectors, including HSBC Bank of Canada, the SNC Lavallin Group, Alcan Inc., the Public Policy Forum, the Fraser Institute and the Calgary University Hospital.  Mr. Morgan was also the co chair of the Calgary Fundraising Committee for the Northern Alberta Children's Health Centre, co Chair of the Governor General's Canadian Leadership Conference, and is an honorary Colonel (retired) of the 410 Tactical Fighter Squadron, Canadian Air Force.

Gwyn Morgan is recognized for his self discipline and integrity, and his strong belief that a corporation should be a positive social and ethical force.


Ms. Jacqueline L. Boutet, C.M.

Ms. Jacqueline Boutet is a distinguished Canadian and Quebec businesswoman.  Her success in building a renowned real estate firm and her commitment to volunteering has earned her respect and admiration in both the business and public sectors.  She has served on a number of Boards of Directors, including HSBC Bank Canada, SNC Lavalin, and Via Rail.  She was Chair of the Montreal Heart Institute Foundation from 1994-1996 and Chair of Tennis Canada from 1995-1998.  Ms. Boutet was inducted into the Canadian Tennis Hall of Fame in 2003.

Ms. Boutet was instrumental in helping to raise over $20 million in public and private funds to transform Jarry Park into a world-class tennis complex.  The facilities, including a 10,500-seat stadium court, guaranteed that the Tennis Masters Canada and the Rogers AT&T; Cup would remain two of the most prestigious tennis tournaments in the world. 

In 1995, Ms. Boutet was named to the Order of Canada and won an award for Volunteer of the Year from Sport Quebec.  In 2002, Ms. Boutet was honoured with the prestigious Dollard Morin prize, the highest achievement in Quebec for her volunteer work in the national tennis community. 

Ms. Boutet recently earned a Masters Degree in management from McGill University and dedicates her time and energy to various business, charitable, cultural, athletic and medical research societies.  She continues to serve on the Board of Directors of Cogeco Inc.



Mr. Hassan Khosrowshahi

Hassan Khosrowshahi was born in Tehran, Iran in 1940. He was educated in Iran and England and obtained his degree in law and economics from the University of Tehran. 

He joined his family company, the Minoo Industrial Group, in 1961. Minoo Industrial Group was a major manufacturer and distributor of food products, pharmaceutical and cosmetics. It produced products under its own brand names and under license for major international companies such as Beatrice Foods, Sandoz, United Biscuits, L'Oreal Group, Boots, and G.D. Searle.  In addition it was the exclusive distributor for Nestle S.A. and Kellogg's.

In 1981, Mr. Khosrowshahi immigrated to Canada and founded the Inwest Group of Companies.  Inwest initially pursued two major business areas, retailing and real estate.  It founded Future Shop chain of consumer electronic stores which it later took public. Inwest sold Future shop to the U.S. based retailer, Best Buy Inc., in November 2001. At that time, with sales of over $2 billion Future Shop was the largest retailer of consumer electronic products in Canada and operated from coast to coast.

Through its subsidiary, Wesbild Properties, Inwest is engaged in developing, holding and managing real estate. In British Columbia, Wesbild has done land development, developed shopping centres and built high rise apartment buildings.  Wesbild has also developed and continues to own and manage shopping centres in the state of Washington. 

Another subsidiary of Inwest Drug Royalty Inc. purchases rights to pharmaceutical products in return for royalties.   

Mr. Khosrowshahi is the Chairman of Inwest Group of Companies. He is a vice chairman of the Fraser Institute and member of its board of trustees and executive advisory board . He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Business Council of British Columbia, the Canadian Council of chief Executives, the board of directors of Leading Edge Endowment Fund established by the Government of British Columbia, and the Board of the Smithsonian's Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.

Mr Khosrowshahi is married to Nezhat and they are active supporters of organizations in the fields of health, education and the arts.



The Honourable Roy MacLaren, PC

The Honourable Roy MacLaren was born in Vancouver and is a graduate of the University of British Columbia.  He is also a graduate of the Universities of Cambridge and Toronto and of the Advanced Management Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration.  He has received honorary doctorates from three universities in Canada and one in the United States.

During twelve years with the Canadian diplomatic service, Mr. MacLaren's postings included Hanoi, Saigon, Prague and the United Nations in New York and Geneva.  Subsequently in the business world he was President of Ogilvy Mather (Canada) and President and owner of CB Media Ltd., the publisher of Canadian Business Magazine.  He has served on the boards of Deutsche Bank (Canada); Royal LePage; London Life; Canadian Tire; Patheon; Algoma Central; Brascan; and Standard Life (UK).

Mr. MacLaren was elected Member of Parliament for Etobicoke North in 1979.  After serving as Parliamentary Secretary for Energy, Mines and Resources, he became Minister of State (Finance) in 1983 and Minister of National Revenue in 1984.

After several years in Opposition as trade critic, he was appointed Minister for International Trade in 1993.  He was High Commissioner for Canada to Great Britain and Northern Ireland from 1996 to 2000.

Mr. MacLaren has been Chairman of the Canadian Institute for International Affairs and Honorary Colonel of the Seventh Toronto Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery.  He is currently Chairman of the Canada-India Business Council, the Canada-Europe Round Table and the Atlantic Council.  He is a Director of the Canadian Opera Company and a Governor of the Royal Ontario Museum Foundation.  In the United Kingdom, Mr. MacLaren is a Governor of the Ditchley Foundation and of the International Institute for Strategic Studies.  He is also a Commissioner of the Trilateral Commission.

Mr. MacLaren is the author of six books on various aspects of Canadian history.  He is married with three children and two grandchildren.