The national associations representing the large majority of Canada’s financial services sector today announced the appointment of the first board of directors for the Centre for the Financial Services OmbudsNetwork. The centre was originally announced in December 2001 as the National Financial Services Ombudservice.

FSON’s board is composed of 11 members including six who are independent of the financial services industry. The initial slate of independent directors was selected by a nominating committee of provincial financial regulators.

The six independent members are:

  • Chair Huguette Labelle, Chancellor of the University of Ottawa;
  • David Crombie, president and CEO of the Canadian Urban Institute;
  • Ted Hughes, the Commissioner of Conflict of Interest and Ethics Counsellor to the Public Service in Northwest Territories;
  • Kenneth Ozmon, director and chairman of Nova Scotia-based Optipress Inc. and President Emeritus, Saint Mary’s University;
  • Lynne Pearson, Dean of the College of Commerce, University of Saskatchewan; and
  • Madeleine Plamondon, President and Director of the Consumer Aid Service of Shawinigan.

Commenting on the announcement, British Columbia Securities Commission chair Doug Hyndman said, “We are particularly pleased with the high calibre of the directors, whose willingness to serve will protect the Centre’s independence, boost its visibility and ensure good governance.”

The five industry directors were nominated by the member associations. They are:

  • George Anderson, immediate past president and CEO, Insurance Bureau of Canada;
  • Mark Daniels, president, Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association;
  • Jean Houde, senior vice president, Corporate Affairs, National Bank of Canada;
  • Gary Reamey, principal, Canadian operations, Edward Jones; and
  • W. Terrence Wright, senior vice president (general counsel and secretary) Investors Group Inc.

FSON is one component of the three-part OmbudsNetwork, which also includes individual financial service providers and their company-level consumer complaints management activities, and three new independent industry-level ombudservices, for banking and securities, life insurance and general insurance.

Through its consumer assistance and referral service and Web site, FSON will provide a central contact point, establish and maintain standards, undertake awareness raising and provide reports on the OmbudsNetwork.


The OmbudsNetwork builds on long-established consumer redress mechanisms in the financial services industry, such as the Canadian Banking Ombudsman established in 1996, as well as global consumer complaint management best practices. “We have constructed the framework for a financial consumer complaint management system which we believe is unparalleled in any other jurisdiction,” said Mark Daniels, president of the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association. “We are very much on track in our efforts to deliver on the commitment we made last December.”

According to Daniels, the next steps will include continued work over the summer with industry partners and stakeholders to: put finishing touches on the industry-level ombudservices, finalize the complaint management protocols, hire and train the Centre’s referral service staff and pilot test both the assistance and referral services and the Web site.

“Our goal is to launch the fully operational Centre, along with the new industry-level ombudservices, later this summer,” stated Tom Hockin, president of the Investment Funds Institute of Canada.