Export Development Canada adds new names to board

OTTAWA — Export Development Canada (EDC) has elected several new members to their board of directors.

Kari Yuers, the president and CEO of Vancouver-based concrete admixture manufacturer Kryton International Inc., is one of the incoming members of the new board.

Other incoming board members are Pierre Bovin and Pierre Matuszewski from Quebec, Karna Gupta and Andrea Stairs Krishnappa from Ontario, and Karen MacWilliam from Nova Scotia.

“We welcome the new board directors who are joining us at a critical time in today’s evolving trade environment. Together, they bring the skills and expertise necessary to ensure that EDC can help grow Canada’s export trade and support Canadian businesses today and well into the future. I am also pleased to state that with these appointments, our external board membership is gender balanced — a significant milestone that reflects EDC’s commitment to diversity and inclusion,” EDC chair Martine Irman said in a statement.

The re-appointed members of the board of directors are Elliot Lifson and Darlene Thibault from Quebec, along with Robert McLeese from Ontario and Lindsay Gordon from B.C.

 Heather Culbert from Alberta is the vice-chair.

Jacques Boivin, Jeff Burghardt, Herbert Clarke, Vikram Khurana, Jason Stefanson and Jeffrey Steiner are stepping down from the board.

“We also express our gratitude to the outgoing directors for their leadership over the years, many of whom served well beyond their terms providing critical continuity and support for EDC,” Irman said.

The Government of Canada has also launched the 2018 legislative review of the Export Development Act. The act requires the federal minister of international trade to undertake a review of the EDC every 10 years to examine EDC’s roles, functions and governance.

The review will also assess the services EDC is providing to Canadian exporters.

“The review comes at an important moment for Canada and for our customers. EDC’s services have never been in higher demand as exporters face a global marketplace that is being transformed with new complexity, risks and opportunities. EDC looks forward to engaging in the review, which will inform how we can effectively carry out our mandate to help Canadian businesses access new markets and go, grow, and succeed internationally,” said EDC president and CEO Benoit Daignault.