April 28, 2010 Kleinburg, ON —The McMichael Canadian Art Collection is pleased to announce the appointment of Upkar Arora as Interim Chair of the public gallery’s Board of Trustees. Mr. Arora officially assumed the duties of Interim Chair on Wednesday, April 7th following a signed Order in Council from the Provincial Government.
Mr. Arora replaces Ms. Noreen Taylor, who had been McMichael Board Chair since 2004. Patrick Gossage has been reappointed to the Board of Trustees and remains the Vice-Chair.
Upkar Arora is a Chartered Accountant who has been a Trustee of the McMichael Canadian Art Collection since 2008. He was educated at University of Waterloo and earned both a Bachelor of Arts (Honours Economics) Degree and a Masters of Accounting (M.Acc) Degree from the Professional School of Accounting. He is Managing Director of Illumina Partners Inc., an independent financial advisory firm he founded in 2002. During his illustrious business career, Mr. Arora has been the CFO of Electrovaya Inc.; Managing Director of Onex Corporation’s Oncap Investment Partners; Executive Vice President and CFO of TrizecHahn Europe; and has held various executive positions with Reichmann International and Olympia & York Developments Limited.
Mr. Arora, a resident of Mississauga, Ontario, takes over the reins of the gallery’s Board of Trustees at an exciting time. The new Interim Chair said, “The McMichael Canadian Art Collection has assembled a vitally important collection of Canadian art since its creation by Robert and Signe McMichael nearly fifty years ago. As we move forward, we need to ensure that the gallery continues to honour their dream, while showcasing renowned Canadian art to the world. My predecessor, Noreen Taylor, has done an outstanding job over the past six years. It is both an honour and a distinct pleasure to follow in her footsteps as Chair of the gallery’s Board of Trustees at this time.”
“Upkar is absolutely the right person to take over the important role of Interim Chair,” said Thomas Smart, CEO of the McMichael Canadian Art Collection. “Like Ms. Taylor, he is a strong supporter of the gallery and Canadian art. He is committed to the betterment of the McMichael. I know he will provide strong leadership and stewardship into the next phase of the gallery’s history.”
In addition to appointing Mr. Arora as Interim Chair, and Mr. Gossage as Vice-Chair, the Province also signed Orders in Council appointing Tina Tehranchian and Linda Rodeck to the Board of Trustees for three-year terms. The Province has reappointed Jamie Cameron (two years) and Richard Self (three years) as Trustees at the McMichael.
Completing their terms are long-time Trustees Joyce Frustaglio, Paul Ladouceur, Don McCutchan, and Betty Steinhauer. “All four Trustees have served the gallery with distinction. They have been very involved with the gallery, providing support and leadership from a governance perspective and assisting us whenever asked,” said CEO Thomas Smart. “We thank Joyce, Paul, Don, and Betty for their outstanding service to the Board and people of Ontario. I wish them well in the future.”
Mr. Arora added, “I wish to thank these Board members as well for their dedication and commitment in the past, and I’m extremely excited to work with the continuing and new Trustees to carry on the important initiatives ahead.”
-30-
For further information or to receive images, contact:
Michelle Kortinen, Communications Coordinator
McMichael Canadian Art Collection
905.893.1121 ext. 2210
mkortinen@mcmichael.com