Sent on behalf of Stuart (Kip) Cobbett, Chair, Board of Governors
Dear members of the McGill community:
At its December 1, 2016, meeting, the Board of Governors approved two recommendations of the Nominating, Governance and Ethics Committee. It is my pleasure to announce that the Honourable Michael A. Meighen has agreed to serve a second term as McGill University’s Chancellor, and that Mr. Ram Panda will take on the role of Board Chair. Both terms are effective July 1, 2017.
Michael A. Meighen graduated from McGill with a Bachelor of Arts in 1960. After earning his law degree from Université Laval in 1963, he began a distinguished law career that included serving as legal co-counsel to the 1985 Commission of Inquiry on War Criminals in Canada. He served in the Senate of Canada from September 1990 until his retirement in February 2012. As co-chair of Campaign McGill, he inspired his fellow alumni and friends of the University to give a record-breaking $1.026 billion. As Chancellor, he is an ex-officio member of the Board of Governors, and has been active in University governance as a member of several committees. For the past two-and-a-half years, Michael has presided over our spring and fall convocation ceremonies, congratulating thousands of new graduates as they crossed the stage – and has represented the University with warmth and grace at alumni functions and other events around the world.
Ram Panda left his native India to study at McGill in 1968. After graduating with a Masters in Electrical Engineering, he chose to start his career and family here in Montreal. In 1978, he co-founded the software company now known as Invera Inc., which today is a leading enterprise resource planning software provider for the global metal industry. Ram is passionate about sustainability and McGill’s role in the community. He has been a member of McGill’s Faculty Advisory Board for the Faculty of Engineering since 2007, and has been a member-at-large of the Board of Governors since 2014, sitting on several committees. In addition to his term as Chair, the Board approved the reappointment of Ram as a member-at-large for a five-year term.
Michael and Ram understand and appreciate the values of the University, and are deeply devoted to the vitality and well-being of the McGill community. Please join me in congratulating and thanking them for their continued service and commitment.
Sincerely,
Stuart (Kip) Cobbett
Chair, McGill University Board of Governors