OMERS Sponsors Corporation Announces New Board Chair and Vice-Chair

The OMERS Sponsors Corporation (SC) Board of Directors is pleased to announce Barry Brown as its new Chair, effective January 1, 2023.

An accomplished lawyer, Mr. Brown practiced employment and labour law for 30 years. Throughout his distinguished career, he worked with a variety of unions and other employee representatives to find mutually-acceptable solutions to challenging workplace issues. He has served on the SC Board since 2015.

“I am honoured to assume the role of Board Chair of the SC -- and to have the opportunity to work with the Administration Corporation (AC) Board and all the OMERS pension plan’s many stakeholders to ensure that the plan remains sustainable, affordable and meaningful for many, many years to come,” Mr. Brown said.

“I also wish to express my sincere thanks to Frank Ramagnano, my predecessor as SC Board Chair, for his many contributions during his term,” Mr. Brown added.

Mr. Brown, who previously served as the SC Board of Directors’ Vice Chair, succeeds Frank Ramagnano, who has reached the end of his term as the SC’s Board Chair. Mr. Ramagnano will continue to serve as a SC Director until the end of 2023. Concurrent with Mr. Brown’s new role, Dan Axford has taken on the role of SC Board of Directors’ Vice Chair.

“I congratulate Barry on being selected as the SC’s Board Chair, as well as Dan on his role as Vice-Chair – and I wish them both every success as they assume their new duties,” said Mr. Ramagnano.

“When I began my role as SC Chair, a key objective for the SC was to help employer and employee sponsors work together more effectively and efficiently. I am proud to have had the opportunity to help advance this important goal,” he added.

In 2016, Mr. Ramagnano became Co-Chair of the SC Board, serving on all SC committees. In 2020, he became the SC’s first Board Chair. Some key milestones during Mr. Ramagnano’s tenure as SC Chair and Co-Chair include: the completion of the SC Board Effectiveness Review, which led to significant governance improvements; close collaboration with the OMERS Administration Corporation, resulting in approval of joint strategies and funding and risk frameworks; and the enacting of plan design changes to address changing needs during the COVID pandemic, expand access to the plan and broaden risk sharing across the membership.

NOTE: Click here to learn more about Mr. Brown, Mr. Axford and Mr. Ramagnano, as well as other members of the SC Board.