Anne Whelan

Anne Whelan was appointed to the Bank of Canada’s Board of Directors in June 2018.

Originating from Placentia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ms. Whelan holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Business Administration from Memorial University. She also completed advanced studies in alternative dispute resolution and holds the ICD.D designation from the Directors Education Program at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Business.

Ms. Whelan is principal shareholder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Seafair Capital, a growth-focused company with investments in community and behavioural health, wellness and safety. In addition to leading her group of companies, Ms. Whelan chairs the board of directors of Newfoundland Power, a subsidiary of Fortis Inc. She is also a director of CSA Group, the Business Development Bank of Canada and regional vice-chair of the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council. She has previously served as a board director for Newfoundland and Labrador Oil & Gas Industries Association. Ms. Whelan brings her down-to-earth style and entrepreneurial passion to every conversation, contributing her time and talent to various other regional boards and community service initiatives.

Ms. Whelan has received many accolades for entrepreneurship and leadership. In 2017, she was named Startup Canada’s Entrepreneur of the Year for an outstanding contribution to Canadian entrepreneurship and was awarded the P.J. Gardiner Entrepreneurship Award from Memorial University. She was named one of Canada’s 100 Most Powerful Women by the Women’s Executive Network in 2016, was named Atlantic Business Magazine’s CEO of the Year in 2014 and was inducted into Atlantic Business Magazine’s Top 50 CEO Hall of Fame in 2015. In 2012, she was awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for her contributions to home care.