Veteran securities regulator Susan Wolburgh Jenah, is heading up the board of Aequitas NEO Exchange Inc., which is slated to launch on March 27.

Jenah, who stepped down from her position as president and CEO of the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) last year, is joining the NEO Exchange board as an independent director, and she has also been appointed chairwoman. Prior to her role as IIROC’s first CEO, Wolburgh Jenah was vice chairwoman of the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC). She also currently serves as a governor of the U.S. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).

“It is an honour to serve as the chair of an organization that is working to transform the Canadian capital markets,” said Wolburgh Jenah. “The goal of the NEO Exchange is to fairly address the needs and interests of investors, capital-raising companies and dealers alike. I look forward to working with the board and management team to bring to life their vision of a marketplace that will advantage all.”

Four other independent directors have also been named to the 10-member board, giving it a board that is 50% independent. The other independent directors are former FundServ CEO, Alan Hutton; Dave Lauer, a U.S.-based market structure expert; Perry Dellelce, founder and managing partner of Wildeboer Dellelce LLP; and Vincent Chahley, a Calgary-based investor and corporate director.

The exchange’s non-independent directors are: Jos Schmitt, president and CEO of NEO Exchange; from the founding shareholders group, Sheila Murray of CI Financial Corp. and Nick Thadaney from ITG Canada; and, for the recently-added shareholders, Bryan Thomson from bcIMC, and Bardya Zaian representing BBS Securities.

The board of Aequitas Innovations Inc., which owns the exchange, is chaired by Greg Mills of RBC Dominion Securities. That board also features Schmitt, the same five independent directors from the NEO Exchange board, along with eight non-independent directors.

In addition to Mills and Schmitt, the founding shareholders are represented by Daniel Garant of PSP Investments, Curtis Millen from BCE, Brent Robertson of OMERS Capital Markets, IGM Financial’s Scott Penman, and former federal Finance minister, Michael Wilson, who is representing Barclays Canada. The collection of new shareholders is represented on the 14-mmber board by John Ing of Maison Placements Canada and Peter Intraligi from Invesco Canada.

“These individuals bring a wealth of capital markets skills and experience to Aequitas,” Mills said. “It is my great honour to welcome them to the boards and I am confident they will keep Aequitas true to its founding vision at all times.”