John Cleghorn, chairman of the board, Canadian Pacific Railway and former chairman and CEO of the Royal Bank of Canada, will receive the Conference Board of Canada’s 2007 Honorary Associate Award.

“John is one of Canada’s most respected corporate leaders and is admired for both his business acumen and his deep sense of corporate social responsibility,” said Anne Golden, president and CEO of the Conference Board. “The many public distinctions he has earned are matched by his personal generosity, sincerity, integrity and concern for the community.”

The Honorary Associate Award is the Conference Board’s highest honour. It’s presented annually to a person who has served Canada and their organization with distinction during an outstanding career. Cleghorn will receive the award at a ceremony in Toronto on Monday evening, November 5.

Cleghorn, a graduate of McGill University, became a chartered accountant in 1964. He joined Royal Bank of Canada in 1974 and assumed a series of senior positions before becoming chairman and CEO in 1995, a position he held until his retirement in 2001.

He has been chairman of the board of Canadian Pacific Railway since 2006, after joining the board in 2001. He also serves as a director of Molson Coors Brewing Company. He was chairman of the board of SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. from 2002 until he retired in 2007. He is also a long-standing supporter of both McGill University and Wilfrid Laurier University (including Chancellor Emeritus at the latter). He is a member of several community and historical organizations. He was a member of the Conference Board’s board of directors from 1994 to 2001, and served as chairman of the board between 1998 and 2000.

Cleghorn is an Officer of the Order of Canada, a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario and a fellow of the Order of Chartered Accountants of Quebec. He holds honorary degrees from Acadia, Bishop’s, McGill and Wilfrid Laurier universities.