Bio
The Honourable Kevin Lynch held the position of Vice Chairman of BMO Financial Group from 2010 to 2020. Prior to that, he was a distinguished former public servant with 33 years of service with the Government of Canada. He served as the Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet, which is the most senior position in the federal public service, as well as Deputy Minister of Finance, Deputy Minister of Industry and Executive Director for Canada at the International Monetary Fund.
Dr. Lynch chairs the Board of Directors of SNC Lavalin and is a director of CN Railway and a trustee of the Killam Trusts. As well, Dr. Lynch is a Director of Communitech and the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada.
Previously, Dr. Lynch served on the boards of the Bank of Canada, CNOOC Limited, Empire (Sobeys), Canadian Deposit Insurance Corporation (CDIC), the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), BMO China and the Cape Breton Development Corporation. As well, he served on the boards of a number of not-for-profit organizations including: the Governor General’s Rideau Hall Foundation, the Ditchley Foundation of Canada (Chair), the Accounting Standards Oversight Council (ASOC), the Ontario Rhodes Scholarship Selection Committee, the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation, the Gairdner Foundation, and the Perimeter Institute.
Dr. Lynch is the past Chancellor of the University of King’s College, the past Chair of the Board of Governors of the University of Waterloo and a Senior Fellow of Massey College. Since retiring from government, he has written over 140 policy Op Ed’s and articles and speaks frequently at conferences in Canada and abroad.
Dr. Lynch earned his BA from Mount Allison University, a Masters in Economics from the University of Manchester and a doctorate in Economics from McMaster University. He was made a Member of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada in 2009, was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2011, has received 11 honorary doctorates from Canadian Universities and was awarded the Queen’s Golden and Diamond Jubilee Medals for public service.