Gail Cook-Bennett

Chair of the Board, Institute of Corporate Directors in Canada

Degrees:

Ph.D in Economics, University of Michigan

Bio

Gail Cook-Bennett is the Immediate Past Chair of the Board of Manulife Financial (2008 to 2013) which operates as John Hancock in the U.S. She was the first Chair of the Board of the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (1998 to 2008) and currently serves as Chair of the Board of the Institute of Corporate Directors in Canada.

In addition to many advisory and not for profit roles, her corporate and Crown directorships since 1978 have included the following: Manulife Financial, CPP Investment Board, Bank of Canada, TD Bank, Petro Canada, Enbridge Consumers Gas, Emera, Cadillac Fairview, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, Mackenzie Financial and Transcontinental. She has chaired or served on all the major committees of the Board.

Gail Cook- Bennett holds a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan and began her career as a professor at the University of Toronto. She has been honoured with the Order of Canada, Doctor of Laws degrees (honoris causa) from Carleton University and York University; and, by her peers as a Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Directors.