Mark Herman named next Board of Governors chair

Last week, the provincial government appointed Mark Herman as the chair of the Board of Governors at the University of Calgary. His appointment is effective Aug. 15 for a three-year term.

Herman brings a wealth of university experience to his new role, including serving on the Board of Governors since 2017. He has held several positions including being a member of the Executive, Audit and Budget committees and chair of the Investment Committee. He is also the board’s representative at the University of Calgary Properties Group Ltd., where he serves as chair of the Audit Committee.

In addition, Herman was a member of the university’s senate for several years, serving on the Executive Committee and as chair of the Community Engagement Committee. He is also an alumnus, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in economics before completing an MBA from Western University in London, Ont.

“Mark Herman’s appointment as chair of the University of Calgary’s Board of Governors will greatly benefit our university,” says President Ed McCauley, PhD. “He has an unrivalled depth of university knowledge from years of experience volunteering on the University of Calgary Senate, Board of Governors and committees, and we are proud to have such a loyal alumnus as our next board chair. Mark is a well-respected leader who will help the university deliver on its strategic initiatives.”

Herman brings 27 years’ business experience to his new role, most recently with Scotia Capital until his retirement in 2013. At Scotia Capital, he was responsible for business development, project execution in both financing, and mergers and acquisitions, and also managed its Calgary investment banking group. His governance experience is further enhanced by completing the directors’ education program from the Institute of Corporate Directors, and serving as the chair of the board of the Calgary Science Centre.

The Board of Governors is responsible for guiding the future of the institution and is accountable for ensuring public funds are used in a fiscally responsible manner. The province appoints members of the public to boards of post-secondary institutions to represent the interests of Albertans; the chair of the board is its representative to the Minister of Advanced Education. 

The university deeply thanks Geeta Sankappanavar for her service as chair of the board during the past three years. Her inspired leadership and tireless efforts were invaluable as UCalgary achieved new milestones including adopting the Framework for Growth.