Tamara Vrooman is currently CEO of the Vancouver International Airport and chancellor of Simon Fraser University. She was previously CEO of credit union Vancity. She replaces Michael Sabia, who became federal deputy finance minister in December 2020, and himself took the chair from RBC CFO Janice Fukakusa in April that year. She will work alongside new CIB CEO Ehren Cory, appointed in October 2020. (The Logic)

Talking point: Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna cited the new chair’s “strong financial and infrastructure background.” Vrooman herself pointed to her experience in both business and government—the bank was set up to attract private capital to megaprojects, at which it has not been particularly successful. Her input is already reflected in the Crown corporation’s plans. In the Liberals’ last mandate, Vrooman co-chaired a climate action advisory panel—alongside now-Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault—which recommended in May 2019 that the CIB “build and aggregate pipelines of local retrofit projects” designed to make buildings more energy efficient. The agency’s $10-billion growth plan, announced in October 2020, duly includes $2 billion for such renovations.