Board of Directors

Bernd Christmas

Senior Vice-President and
National Aboriginal Practice Leader
Hill & Knowlton Canada
Vancouver

Bernd Christmas was appointed to the Board of Directors of CBC/Radio-Canada in February 2005 for a three-year term.

Mr. Christmas is Senior Vice-President and National Aboriginal Practice Leader at Hill & Knowlton Canada. As an Aboriginal lawyer, former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Membertou Band of Nova Scotia and the Membertou Corporate Division, and as a negotiator for several First Nations bands, Mr. Christmas brings to the Board a deep understanding of Aboriginal perspectives. He also brings extensive experience on national and international boards and commissions.

The first Mi'kmaw to become a lawyer in Canada, Mr. Christmas obtained his law degree in 1991 from Osgoode Hall at York University. In 1993, he accepted a position in corporate and commercial law with Lang Michener, where he also expanded the firm's Aboriginal practices.

In 2003, he was appointed by Prime Minister Chrétien to the External Advisory Committee on Smart Regulation. From 2000 to 2002, he was one of three Canadian commissioners to the International Commission for the Conservation of Tuna. He is a former member of the National Aboriginal Economic Development Board and of the executive committee organizing the Governor General's Conference on Leadership and Diversity.

For the Membertou band, Mr. Christmas has negotiated contracts or agreements with Georgia Pacific, Sodexho Canada, Clearwater Fine Foods, Lockheed Martin Canada, Jacques Whitford Engineering, Dexter Construction, Grant Thornton, Boeing, and SNC Lavalin.

Mr. Christmas is a member of the Nova Scotia Barristers' Society and of the Law Society of Upper Canada (Ontario). He is a former commissioner for the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board and sits on the Board of Governors of the Nova Scotia Community College.