The Business/Higher Education Roundtable (BHER) is excited to welcome Dave McKay, President and Chief Executive Officer of RBC, as Chair of BHER’s board of directors.
“I am thrilled to have Dave serve as our Chair and I am looking forward to continuing to work with him in this new capacity,” said Dr. Valerie Walker, Chief Executive Officer of BHER.
“I’m pleased to continue leading BHER because I believe educators and employers have a shared responsibility to rethink the way we teach, research and prepare all workers for the future, including the next generation,” said Dave McKay, President and CEO of RBC.
McKay has distinguished himself as an industry champion for youth by supporting programs such as RBC Future Launch, a $500 million commitment to preparing Canadians for the changing world of work. The success to date of BHER’s signature work-integrated learning initiative, resulting in substantial investments in skills and training by the federal government, are a testament to his leadership within BHER and across Canada’s business community.
“I’m a strong advocate of experiential learning and how it can break down the barriers between student life and real life. Our co-operative approach is working to positively shape thousands of careers, but as we enter the next decade, a big part of Canada’s future prosperity rests on our ability to forge an even stronger link between our workplaces and lecture halls. I’m looking forward to working together with industry and post-secondary partners to make this happen.”
In November, BHER members voted to move from having three Co-Chairs to a Chair and two Vice-Chairs model. McKay previously served as Co-Chair alongside Dr. Meric Gertler, President of the University of Toronto and Anne Sado, President of George Brown College.
“Since BHER’s inception, Dave has been a leading voice around our table and an unwavering champion for our mission and work. He consistently demonstrates his commitment to helping young people build the skills and competencies to succeed in the future of work, both by leading by example at RBC and promoting these goals among fellow industry leaders. We are fortunate that he continues to provide this key commitment and direction to our work by continuing to take on leadership roles within BHER,” continued Dr. Walker.
During the same meeting, the board also elected two Vice-Chairs. BHER is pleased to welcome Anne Sado, President of George Brown College and Dr. Meric Gertler, President of the University of Toronto, as Vice-Chairs.
“BHER has benefited greatly from the leadership of Sado and Dr. Gertler in the past. We are thrilled that they have elected to continue to provide leadership to our organization in these new roles alongside our board Chair. Their collective experience in the post-secondary education sphere provides invaluable insight to the work of our board of directors,” said Dr. Walker.
About the Business/Higher Education Roundtable
The Business / Higher Education Roundtable (BHER) is a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization bringing together some of Canada’s largest companies and leading post-secondary institutions. Since 2015, BHER has worked to harness the strengths of Canada’s business and post-secondary education sectors to build opportunities for young Canadians, boost innovation and drive collaboration. Learn more at www.bher.ca.
Media Contact:
Brianna Workman – Associate, Communications – Business/Higher Education Roundtable – Brianna.Workman@bher.ca