BlackBerry today announced that it has appointed The Honourable Wayne G. Wouters, PC, to the Company’s Board of Directors. Mr. Wouters will also serve as a member of the audit and risk management committee of the Board of Directors.
Press Release:
Waterloo, Ontario – October 13, 2015 – BlackBerry Limited (NASDAQ: BBRY; TSX: BB), a global leader in secure mobile communications, today announced that it has appointed The Honourable Wayne G. Wouters, PC, to the Company’s Board of Directors. Mr. Wouters will also serve as a member of the audit and risk management committee of the Board of Directors.
“I am pleased to welcome Wayne Wouters to our Board of Directors. Mr. Wouters brings to BlackBerry valuable experience in government relations, strategic leadership, international trade and economic policy,” said John Chen, Executive Chairman and CEO of BlackBerry.
With the addition of Mr. Wouters, the Company’s Board of Directors will consist of eight members, seven of whom are independent members.
From 2009 to 2014, Mr. Wouters was the Clerk of the Privy Council of Canada and held the roles of Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister, Secretary to the Cabinet and Head of the Public Service. Prior to his tenure as Clerk, Mr. Wouters was Secretary of the Treasury Board of Canada and served in deputy ministerial and other senior positions in the Canadian public service. Mr. Wouters has received numerous awards, including an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from the University of Saskatchewan, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal and the André Mailhot Award for lifetime achievement from the United Way Canada. He was inducted as a member of the Privy Council in 2014.
Mr. Wouters has an honours bachelor of commerce degree from the University of Saskatchewan and a master’s degree in economics from Queen’s University. He is a Strategic and Policy Advisor to McCarthy Tétrault LLP and serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of United Way Worldwide.