Board of Directors

Robert Rabinovitch

President and CEO
Toronto

Robert Rabinovitch was reappointed to a three-year term as President and CEO of CBC/Radio Canada in November 2004. He was first appointed in November 1999.

Mr. Rabinovitch is a graduate of McGill University and the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned an M.A. and a Ph.D. in Economics and Finance.

Immediately prior to his arrival at CBC/Radio-Canada, Mr. Rabinovitch was Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer of Claridge Inc., a private corporation he joined in 1987.

From 1968 to 1986, Mr. Rabinovitch held various positions with the Federal Government. More specifically, he was Under Secretary of State from January 1985 to September 1986 and Deputy Minister of Communications from 1982 to 1985. He also held several positions within the Privy Council Office, including Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet and Senior Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet for Priorities and Planning.

Mr. Rabinovitch has been a member of several corporate boards, including Cineplex Odeon and NetStar Communications, as well as Special Advisor to the boards of MaxLink Communications and Loews Cineplex. He was also a member of the Government of Canada Direct-to-Home Satellite Broadcasting Policy Review Panel.

He has also been active in cultural and philanthropic endeavours, including the Canadian Executive Service Organization (CESO), the CRB Foundation, the Samuel and Saidye Bronfman Family Foundation and the Canadian Film Centre. He was Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Canadian Jewish Congress (Québec), until his appointment to CBC/Radio-Canada.

Mr. Rabinovitch has been a member of the Board of Governors of McGill University since January 1997. He was appointed Chair of the Board in July 1999 until December 2007. He is also a member of the Advisory Board of the Sauvé Scholars Foundation (McGill University) and of the Nunavut Trust Investment Advisory Committee.

In June 2003, in recognition of his contributions to Canada as a senior public servant for many years, and currently as the champion of a world-renowned broadcasting system, Mr. Rabinovitch was awarded an honorary doctor of laws degree by York University.

He and his wife have a daughter and a son.