Suzanne Labarge
{{Short description|Canadian businesswoman}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Suzanne B. Labarge
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| office = 18th Chancellor of McMaster University
| term_start = 1 September 2013
| term_end = 30 August 2019
| predecessor = Lynton Wilson
| successor = Santee Smith
| birth_place = Ottawa, Canada
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| nationality = Canadian
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| alma_mater = McMaster University
Harvard University
| occupation = Vice-Chairman of Royal Bank of Canada{{cite web|url=http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=224649&privcapId=1441004&previousCapId=1441004|archive-url=https://archive.today/20141018190213/http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=224649&privcapId=1441004&previousCapId=1441004|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 18, 2014|title=Suzanne B. Labarge|year=2014|work=Bloomberg Businessweek|publisher=Bloomberg L.P.|accessdate=18 October 2014}}
Independent Director of Bank of China
Independent Director of Novelis Inc.
Director of The Coca-Cola Company
Director of XL Group plc
| profession = Businesswoman
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Suzanne B. Labarge {{postnominals|CM}} (born 1940) is a Canadian businesswoman, and past chancellor of McMaster University. Labarge is a member of The Coca-Cola Company's board of directors, and was the vice-chairman of the Royal Bank of Canada.
Career
Labarge was born in Canada.{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/suzanne-labarge/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141024090014/http://www.forbes.com/profile/suzanne-labarge/|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 24, 2014|title=Suzanne Labarge|work=Forbes|accessdate=18 October 2014|year=2014}} Labarge received a B.A. in Economics from McMaster University, and a M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. Then she worked in the federal public service, including 2 years as assistant auditor general and 8 years in the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions.
She joined the Royal Bank of Canada where she became the first woman to be appointed as a Royal Bank executive in 1979, and Executive Vice-President in 1995. In 1999, she became RBC's Chief Risk Officer.{{cite web|url=http://www.rbc.com/history/milestones-at-a-glance/women-at-rbc.html|title=Women at Royal Bank|website=Rbc.com|accessdate=28 August 2019}}{{cite web|url=http://www.rbc.com/history/quicktofrontier/women_in_banking-detail.html|title=Onto the Global Stage: The 1960s and the End of Parochialism|website=Rbc.com|accessdate=28 August 2019}} During her time with RBC, she served as the chief risk officer of RBC Capital Markets Corporation and RBC Capital Markets. Labarge served as the chief risk officer of Royal Bank of Canada until September 2004 and its executive vice president and corporate treasurer from 1995 to 1998. Labarge had served as the chief risk officer at RBC Financial Group and the vice chairman at RBC Capital Markets Corporation and RBC Capital Markets. She served as the vice chairman at RBC Financial Group. Labarge served as vice chairman of Royal Bank of Canada until September 2004.
Labarge assumed the role of chancellor at McMaster University on 1 September 2013, and served a three-year term.{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/news/mcmaster-names-businesswomen-suzanne-labarge-as-chancellor-1.1364627|title=McMaster names businesswomen Suzanne Labarge as chancellor|work=CBC News|date=10 April 2013|publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|accessdate=10 April 2014}} In the previous year, Labarge contributed C$10 million to the university in an effort to fund inter-disciplinary research into the subject of aging.{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/with-10-million-gift-mcmaster-embarks-on-study-of-optimal-aging/article4525683/|title=With $10-million gift, McMaster embarks on study of 'optimal ageing'|first=Steven Spencer|last=Davis|date=7 September 2012|accessdate=10 September 2014|publisher=The Globe and Mail Inc.}} The university operates the Labarge Optimal Ageing Initiative.{{cite web|url=http://optimalaging.mcmaster.ca|title=Labarge Optimal Aging Initiative Home|publisher=McMaster University|accessdate=18 October 2014|year=2014}} In 2007, she had endowed the Raymond and Margaret Labarge Chair in Research and Knowledge Application for Optimal Aging.{{cite web|url=https://dailynews.mcmaster.ca/articles/im-extremely-proud-suzanne-labarge-reflects-on-her-time-as-chancellor/|title=I'm extremely proud: Suzanne Labarge reflects on her time as Chancellor|website=Mcmaster.ca|date=29 May 2019|accessdate=28 August 2019}}
Labarge made a second gift to the University in October 2016. This gift, valued at C$15 million, established the Labarge Centre for Mobility in Aging. The focus of the Centre is to fund "interdisciplinary research into ways seniors can live more independently through greater mobility, better health and fitness and increased social connection."{{cite web|url=http://dailynews.mcmaster.ca/article/preparing-for-the-aging-tsunami-target-of-15-million-gift-from-chancellor-labarge/|title=Preparing for the Aging Tsunami Target of $15 million Gift from Chancellor Labarge|publisher=McMaster University|accessdate=15 November 2016|year=2016}}
Other roles
- Since December 2007: Director at Coca-Cola s.{{cite web|url=http://ir.cokecce.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=117435&p=irol-govBio&ID=190933|title=Suzanne B. Labarge|publisher=The Coca-Cola Company|year=2014|access-date=18 October 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20141018190116/http://ir.cokecce.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=117435&p=irol-govBio&ID=190933|archive-date=18 October 2014}}
- January 2005-May 2007: Independent Director at Novelis Inc.
- Previously: Director at XL Group
- Previously: Member of supervisory board at Deutsche Bank AG and of Deutsche Bank AG
- Chairwoman of CLS Group (2001-2003)
Distinctions
- 2000: Awards of Distinction by the Concordia University{{cite web|url=https://www.concordia.ca/jmsb/about/awards/distinction.html|title=Awards of distinction|website=Concordia.ca|accessdate=28 August 2019}}
- 2019: Member of the Order of Canada.{{Cite web|url=https://www.gg.ca/en/media/news/2019/governor-general-announces-83-new-appointments-order-canada|title=Governor General Announces 83 New Appointments to the Order of Canada|date=20 June 2019}}
References
{{Reflist}}
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{{s-aca}}
{{s-bef|before=Lynton Wilson}}
{{s-ttl|title=Chancellor of McMaster University|years=1 September 2013–30 August 2019}}
{{s-aft|after=Santee Smith}}
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Labarge, Suzanne B.}}
Category:Harvard Business School alumni
Category:Chancellors of McMaster University
Category:McMaster University alumni
Category:Directors of The Coca-Cola Company
Category:Canadian women in business