Osler’s Vice-chair, Brian M. Levitt, appointed Officer of the Order of Canada

Jan 8, 2015

We are proud to announce that Brian M. Levitt has been appointed Officer of the Order of Canada for his contributions to the legal and business communities, and for his support of the arts. The announcement was made on December 30, 2015, by the Governor General of Canada, and featured in a Globe and Mail article by Ingrid Peritz. Brian was one of only 14 Officers, recognized for their national service or achievement, in a list of 69 new appointments to the Order of Canada.

Brian first joined Osler in 1976 and is now the firm’s Vice-chair, based in our Montreal office. He is recognized as one of Canada’s leading corporate governance and M&A advisors. From 1991, Brian served as President, and later CEO, of Imasco, then returned to Osler in 2001.

For more than two decades, Brian has served as director of several prominent public companies, and he is currently Toronto-Dominion Bank’s Chairman of the Board, as well as a director of Domtar Corporation. In 2007, Brian was one of five experts chosen by the Government of Canada to form a Competition Policy Review Panel to examine key elements of Canada's competition and foreign direct investment policies. The panel’s report created a series of recommendations aimed at making Canada a more attractive destination for talent, investment and innovation. In 2013, Brian was appointed chancellor of Bishop’s University – located in Quebec’s Eastern Townships – for a five-year term.

Beyond the call of his professional life, Brian focuses his energy and expertise on public and community organizations. He currently serves as Board of Trustees Chair for the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and Vice-Chair of the Board at the C.D. Howe Institute, whose mission is to raise living standards by fostering economically sound public policies.  The Institute is “widely considered to be Canada’s most influential think tank.”

On behalf of all of us at Osler, we extend our sincere congratulations to Brian on becoming an Officer of the Order of Canada.

 

The Order of Canada was established in 1967, during Canada’s centennial year, by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. It is the cornerstone of the Canadian Honours System, and recognizes outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation. More than 6,000 people from all sectors of society have been invested into the Order. Their contributions are varied, yet they have all enriched the lives of others and made a difference to this country.