On Nov. 5, 2009, key individuals in the pension community gathered at the Fairmont Royal York hotel in Toronto for a gala event to celebrate the 3rd Annual Benefits Canada Awards.

To recognize the achievements of individuals and organizations that have demonstrated leadership and innovation in the pension industry and contributed to the retirement security of Canadian employees and their families, Benefits Canada presented awards in the following categories:

Plan Sponsor (Sponsored by CIBC Mellon)
Awarded to an organization that has demonstrated leadership and innovation in pension investment, plan design, administration or governance and has had an impact on the retirement security of Canadian plan members.
Winner: SNC-Lavalin

Plan Member Communications (Sponsored by Standard Life)
Awarded to an organization that has developed innovative and effective strategies for communicating pension plans and/or investments to plan members.
Winner: B.C. Municipal Pension Plan

Volunteer (Sponsored by McLean Budden)
Awarded to an individual who has demonstrated dedication and leadership in his or her voluntary endeavours and whose efforts have had a significant impact on the retirement security of Canadians.
Winner: Donald Walcot

Lifetime Achievement (Sponsored by Franklin Templeton)
Awarded to an individual who has spent his or her career demonstrating leadership and innovation in the pension industry, and who has had an impact on the retirement security of Canadian plan members.
Winner: Carl Otto, Cordiant Capital

Most Influential Plan Sponsor (Sponsored by State Street)
Awarded to an individual at a plan sponsor organization who is deemed by his or her peers to be the most influential individual in the pension industry, in terms of leadership, innovation and impact.
Winner: David Denison, CPP Investment Board

This year’s event also honoured the Top 25 Most Influential Plan Sponsors (determined through an industry survey), the Fastest Growing Money Managers (sponsored by Horizons Exchange Traded Funds) and the Top 40 Money Managers of 2009.

Top 25 Most Influential Plan Sponsors

No. 1: David Denison, CPP Investment Board

(in alphabetical order)

Étienne Brodeur, Bombardier

Jennifer Brown, OMERS

Julie Cays, CAAT

Leo De Bever, AIMCo

Caroline Drouin, CN

Philip Falls, UBC Investment Management Trust

Gordon Fyfe, PSP Investment Board

Lea Hansen, Queen’s University Endowment Plan

Asif Haque, PSP Investment Board

Calvin Jordan, NSAHO Pension Plan

Louise Koza, The University of Western Ontario

Robert Leblanc, Costco

Jim Leech, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan

Josephine Marks, Scotiabank

Tim McCullough, Canada Post

Shirley McIntyre, TransAlta

Michael Nobrega, OMERS

John Poos, OMERS Sponsors Corp.

Blair Richards, Halifax Port ILA/HEA Pension Plan

Pat Suzuki, Suncor Energy

Terri Troy, Halifax Regional Municipality Pension Plan

David Tutty, Sobeys

John Wolff, ELCI

Linda Ydreos, Spectra Energy

For more details on the Benefits Canada Awards, go to www.benefitscanada.com/tbca.

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© Copyright 2009 Rogers Publishing Ltd. This article first appeared in the December 2009 edition of BENEFITS CANADA magazine.