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Board Appointments Announced for BC Financial Services Authority

BC Financial Services Authority (“BCFSA”) is pleased to announce the following appointments to its Board of Directors effective July 31, 2021, ahead of its integration with the Real Estate Council of BC (“RECBC”) and the Office of the Superintendent of Real Estate (“OSRE”) on August 1, 2021:

  • John Thwaites recently retired as CEO with Remcan Projects LP, where he continues to serve as a director/advisor. Mr. Thwaites is also on the boards of Acuva Technologies Ltd and CRIMS LP. He is a University of British Columbia Sauder Master of Business Administration mentor and lecturer. Mr. Thwaites, who is currently a member of the BCFSA Board of Directors, has been appointed for a new term ending July 31, 2023.
  • Yasin Amlani is a corporate and real estate lawyer by profession with over 20 years of practice in the industry. After serving as Managing Partner at a New Westminster law firm, Mr. Amlani moved on to establish his own law practice. He now practises corporate law part-time, while also advising as a business and legal consultant. Mr. Amlani is a Council Member at RECBC which will be integrated into BCFSA on August 1, 2021. He has been appointed to the BCFSA Board of Directors for a term ending June 30, 2023.
  • Sandra Heath is a retired Human Resources Consultant. She started and wound up HTD Inc., an international training and human resources consulting firm that focused on developing organization and leadership capacity. Ms. Heath has also held senior positions in both the private and public sector. She chairs the Board of Providence Living and previously chaired the Providence Health Care Board and served on the board of the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority. Ms. Heath is a Council Member at RECBC. She has been appointed to the BCFSA Board of Directors for a term ending June 30, 2024.
  • Donnie Wing is Treasurer for the Victoria Hospitals Foundation and the past chair of the S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Society Mr. Wing is a seasoned senior executive with extensive knowledge in insurance, investments, finance, strategy, policy, information and privacy, regulatory affairs, and government relations. Previously, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Healthcare Benefit Trust and Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs for the Insurance Corporation of BC. Mr. Wing has been appointed to the BCFSA Board of Directors for a term ending June 30, 2023.
  • Don Wright served as Deputy Minister to Premier, Secretary to Cabinet, and Head of the Public Service for the Government of British Columbia. Previously, Mr. Wright was President and Chief Executive Officer for Central 1 Credit Union and President of British Columbia Institute of Technology. Active in his community, he is a Member of the Board of Directors for World University Services Canada. Mr. Wright has been appointed to the BCFSA Board of Directors for a term ending June 30, 2024.

A complete list of the BCFSA Board of Directors as of July 31, 2021 is attached. BCFSA’s Board Chair Dr. Stanley Hamilton would like to recognize and thank Shannon Salter, Joel Whittemore, Michael Grist and Bruce Howell for their dedicated service to BCFSA and recognize their vital role in the regulation of financial services in British Columbia. Ms. Salter and Mr. Whittemore have been part of the FICOM/BCFSA Board for over a decade while Messrs. Grist and Howell have served over three and two years, respectively.

BCFSA’s integration with RECBC and OSRE, which is expected to be complete on August 1, 2021, will create a single regulator of B.C.’s financial services sector. The sector, which includes credit unions, trust companies, insurance companies, mortgage brokers, pension plans, and real estate services, is a key driver of B.C.’s economy and directly impacts the lives of individual British Columbians.

The integration will simplify accountabilities and enhance regulatory oversight through more effective and efficient business processes, investigations, and enforcements. Creating a single financial services regulator was also a key recommendation from the Expert Panel on Money Laundering Report released in May 2019.

Media Contact:
Sarah Lusk
Director, Communications
(604) 306-2066

BCFSA BOARD OF DIRECTORS JULY 31, 2021
Dr. Stanley Hamilton – Chair
Wilma van Norden — Vice Chair
Yasin Amlani
Jacqueline Kelly
Jo-Ann Hannah
Joanne Hausch
Sandra Heath
Gerry Matier
John Thwaites
Donnie Wing
Don Wright