Two new directors appointed to Teachers’ Board

TORONTO - On behalf of the Executive and the Board of Governors of the Ontario Teachers' Federation (OTF), President Francine LeBlanc-Lebel is pleased to announce the appointment of Patti Croft and Lise Fournel to the Board of the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (OTPPB), effective January 1, 2016.

"Patti Croft brings incredible expertise in global macroeconomics and the financial sector. Lise Fournel is a technology expert with broader experience in marketing and revenue management with a global perspective," said LeBlanc-Lebel. "The teachers of Ontario will be very well served by these two appointments."

Patti Croft's macroeconomic perspective will be invaluable to the Board at Teachers' as they oversee an increasingly complex and global asset mix. She has been Chief Economist with RBC Global Asset Management; with Phillips, Hager and North; with Sceptre Investment Counsel and with TD Canada Trust. Croft holds a degree in Economics from the University of Toronto and began her career at Burns Fry before moving on to CIBC Wood Gundy. As well, she holds the Institute of Corporate Directors designation (ICD.D). Her board experience includes the Ontario Pension Board and the Board of the Boilermakers' National Pension Plan Canada. Croft is a past director and founding member of Women in Capital Markets and past director of the International Foundation for Employee Benefit Plans and Canadian Medical Association Holdings Inc. She is a commentator on CBC's Bottom Line. "Patti Croft's experience provides her with incredibly valuable knowledge and perspective," stated LeBlanc-Lebel.

Lise Fournel has held increasingly senior positions in Technology, Strategic Planning and Passenger Commercial in her 35 plus year career with Air Canada. Fournel's experience in transformative technology strategies, senior management and e-commerce will be beneficial in terms of oversight of investment decisions at Teachers', as well as with Teachers' operations and client services. As Air Canada's Senior Vice-President and Chief Information Officer, her experience will allow valuable insight into IT and cyber risks. Fournel was assigned by Air Canada, one of the five founding carriers of Star Alliance, to define the strategy and launch of the Star Alliance Network and is still very active with STAR. She earned both her BSc and MSc in Mathematics from the University of Montreal. She also completed graduate studies in Business Administration at Hautes Études Commerciales (HEC) in Montreal. Fournel has served on a number of not-for-profit boards, including the University of Montreal. "We are pleased to add her broad experience base to the OTPP Board," said LeBlanc-Lebel.

"Teachers in Ontario are proud of the expertise of the OTPPB and are confident that their pensions are in capable hands," concluded LeBlanc-Lebel. "While each of these appointees brings her own strengths to the Board, their combined and complementary experiences will deepen and broaden the overall skill set of the Board. We are very pleased to make these appointments."

The Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan is jointly sponsored by the Ontario Teachers' Federation and the Government of Ontario. Director appointments are for two years, renewable for a maximum of four terms. The Ontario Teachers' Federation is the advocate for the teaching profession in Ontario and for its 160,000 teachers. OTF members are full-time, part-time and occasional teachers in all the publicly funded schools in the province—elementary, secondary, public, Catholic and francophone.

For more information, contact

Rhonda Kimberley-Young, OTF Secretary-Treasurer

rhonda.kimberley-young@otffeo.on.ca 416.966.3424 www.otffeo.on.ca