NB Power welcomes Phil Fontaine to its board of directors

NB Power
07 October 2013

FREDERICTON (GNB) – NB Power is pleased to welcome Phil Fontaine, a former three-term national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, as the newest member of its board of directors.

Fontaine is a dedicated and highly respected leader in Canada. He is the founder of Ishkonigan, which specializes in consultation and mediation services to indigenous communities, all levels of government and business.

“We are fortunate to have Fontaine joining the board,” said Ed Barrett, chair of the board of directors at NB Power. “His proven expertise in bringing people together and opening the lines of communication, coupled with his extraordinary ability to speak from the heart and teach others how to achieve results, is an asset to our company. His exceptional capabilities to inspire and build consensus makes him highly sought-after by corporations, associations and government.”

Fontaine is a member of the Sagkeeng First Nation in Manitoba and plays an active role in the support of his community.

“He will be an integral part of further developing our relationship with First Nations in New Brunswick and improving their role and involvement in our ongoing operations and major projects,” said Barrett. “Fontaine’s leadership will be an asset to the board in ongoing responsibilities to the First Nations groups throughout the province.”

The board of directors uses the board skills matrix tool to identify existing capabilities and development areas, which, in turn, helped to determine its recruitment priorities. Fontaine is one of the high-profile individuals to join the board this year.

Paul V. Beesley joined the board in March and is the chair of its audit committee. He is  executive vice-president and chief financial officer of Empire Co. Ltd. Prior to joining Empire Co. Ltd. in 1999, he was vice-president and chief financial officer at The Globe and Mail in Toronto for three years. Previously, he worked for Delrina Corp. in Toronto and with Sunoco and Suncor Inc., working through various positions to become director, supply operations.

“We are so pleased to have these extremely qualified and credible individuals join our board,” said Barrett. “I am confident that with our current level of skill and breadth of experience, we are positioned to be successful in directing our business and the future of electricity in our province to proudly serve our customers.”

07-10-13