Source: WCB

There’s a new CEO at the Workers Compensation Board.

After a nation-wide search, Karen Adams is taking the job, August 14.

Saeed El-Darahali, Chair of the WCB’s Board of Directors says the WCB is entering a new era of newfound financial sustainability and he looks to forward to Adam’s leadership and the opportunities it will bring.

“We’re very pleased to welcome someone of Karen’s calibre and experience to lead our organization into a very bright future,” says Mr. El-Darahali. “Karen is a visionary, respected leader with a proven track record of leading complex organizations through change and renewal. These are exciting times for the system and for the WCB, and we’re thrilled Karen will lead us through them.”

She was recognized in 2017 by the Women’s Executive Network as one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women. In 2019, she was voted by her peers as “CEO of the Year” by Wealth Professional. She has held leadership positions in organizations around the world, including serving as President and CEO of Fundserv Inc, a financial technology firm serving the investment fund industry across Canada. She led the organization through a major business transformation. She has also served as President and CEO of the Alberta Pensions Services Corporation and held a number of senior executive positions internationally with HSBC Bank.

Born and raised in Toronto, she has spent much of her career outside Canada. She has lived and worked in Mumbai, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Beijing, Seoul, Dubai, London and Amman.

With an MBA from the University of British Columbia and undergraduate degree in economics and mathematics from Queens University, Ms. Adams also holds the ICD.D designation from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.

She serves on the Boards of a number of organizations, including the Canadian Depository for Securities, the Canadian Capital Markets Association, the military veterans support organization True Patriot Love, and as Chair of the Board for The Country Day School in Toronto.

“I have had the privilege of building my career in a variety of industries across four provinces in Canada and nine countries around the world. But every place I’ve worked has one simple thing in common – they’re all local communities, people serving people in the same community,” Ms. Adams says. “It’s about working together to make lives better, helping others achieve their goals and take care of their families.”

“WCB plays an incredibly important role in Nova Scotia, from preventing workplace injury to return to work, or supporting families over the long-term. The pieces are in place for a world class workers’ compensation system in Nova Scotia, and that will be our goal. I am truly honoured to join the organization.”

Adams will take over the role from interim CEO, Shelley Rowan.