Jim Leech, C.M.
Chancellor, Queen’s University
Jim Leech retired in 2014 as President and CEO of the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (Teachers’), one of the world’s largest and most innovative pension funds. During his tenure as CEO, Teachers’ eliminated its funding deficit and was ranked first in the world amongst peer plans for absolute returns over five and ten years; value-added returns over five and ten years; and service to members[1].
Prior to his appointment as CEO, Mr. Leech headed Teachers’ Private Capital, the pension plan’s private investing arm where he oversaw the growth in private equity, venture capital, and infrastructure investments from $2 billion in 2001 to over $20 billion by 2007.
Upon his retirement in 2014, Mr. Leech was appointed Special Advisor to the Ontario Minister of Finance to review the sustainability of the province’s electricity sector pension. His report was accepted by the government and is currently being implemented.
Mr. Leech is currently Chancellor of Queen’s University and chairs MasterCard Foundation and Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation. Mr. Leech is also a Senior Advisor to McKinsey & Company and serves as an Honorary Colonel in the Canadian Armed Forces.
In 2013, Mr. Leech co-authored The Third Rail: Confronting our Pension Failures, a best-selling book that received the 2013-2014 Best Canadian Business Book Award and was a finalist for the Donner Award for contribution to Canadian public policy.
In 2012, Mr. Leech was awarded the Queen's Diamond Jubilee medal in recognition of his work with the True Patriot Love Foundation. In May 2014, he was a member of Canada’s largest expedition to ski to the magnetic north pole to raise awareness and funds for Canadian military veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. In 2016, Mr. Leech was inducted into the Royal Military College’s Wall of Honour.
Mr. Leech was made a Member of the Order of Canada for his contributions as an innovator in pension management, for his writings on the subject of retirement funding, and for his community involvement.
Mr. Leech holds a Bachelors of Science (Honours in Math and Physics) from the Royal Military College of Canada and a Masters of Business Administration from Queen's University. He is also a graduate of the Institute of Corporate Directors.
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[1] CEM Benchmarking