The Manitoba government has appointed a new board of directors for Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) in an effort to resume services and return financial accountability to the Crown corporation, Justice Minister Matt Wiebe, minister responsible for MPI, announced in a media release last Friday (Oct 20).
“We are acting quickly to appoint a proven team of leaders dedicated to setting a new direction and preserving our public auto insurance model,” said Wiebe. “There is a clear need for oversight, accountability and a new relationship with employees, and I am confident that this board has the experience and ability to find that ground.”
MPI’s 1,700 employees have been on strike since Aug. 28 and an overhaul of the corporation’s technology systems has nearly tripled in cost to nearly $300 million, said the minister. The organization is also currently undergoing an external organizational review, noted Wiebe.
The new board of directors will be chaired by Carmen Nedohin, former chairperson of the Manitoba Liquor Control Commission and a former Manitoba Hydro board member. Nedohin will be supported by several former MPI employees as well as labour and community leaders, and experts in asset management, information technology and actuarial science.
The board’s top priority will be to resolve the current strike with an agreement that is both fair to employees and responsible to Manitoba ratepayers, noted Wiebe.
“I am excited to start working with the board and want to thank all members for accepting this responsibility,” said Wiebe. “This board will stay on top of operations and provide the oversight required to return MPI to its once great status as a leader in the field providing Manitobans with affordable insurance.”
New board members are:
-Carmen Nedohin (chair) – Winnipeg chapter president, Canadian Association of Retired Persons; lay bencher, Law Society of Manitoba; former chairperson, Manitoba Liquor Control Commission; former Manitoba Hydro board member.
-Gina McKay – president, Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Manitoba; CUPE regional vice-president for Manitoba; executive vice-president of the Manitoba Federation of Labour; equity vice-president – 2SLGBTQI+, Canadian Labour Congress; proud queer and Métis labour leader.
-Luke Johnston – vice-president and chief risk officer, Manitoba Blue Cross; former chief actuary and vice-president, product and risk management at MPI.
-Candy Wong – portfolio manager, international strategies, environmental, social and governance (ESG) and risk management, Civil Service Superannuation Board of Manitoba.
-Fran Frederickson – former school trustee; former board member, Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries; former insurance broker; former MPI employee specializing in instructional design.
-Marilyn McLaren – former president and CEO, Manitoba Public Insurance; former board chair, United Way Winnipeg; former board chair, Harvest Manitoba.
-JD Devgan – MLA for McPhillips; former director of government and community engagement, University of Manitoba; former vice-president, Sikh Society of Manitoba.
-Diane Roussin (returning member) – dedicated community leader working to protect the rights of Indigenous families; proud member of Skownan First Nation.
-Christian Dandeneau – co-founder and CEO of ID Fusion, an Indigenous-owned company; member of the federal external advisory committee on regulatory competitiveness; proud of his francophone Métis heritage.
Meanwhile, the union for striking MPI employees says new leadership at the Crown Corporation was a critical first step in negotiating a fair deal, and ending the 53 day old strike – and it wants to restart contract talks as soon as possible.
