Vancity names Christine Bergeron as Interim Chief Executive Officer


UNCEDED TERRITORIES OF MUSQUEAM, SQUAMISH AND TSLEIL-WAUTUTH NATIONS and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vancity today announced the appointment of Christine Bergeron as interim CEO, effective July 1, 2020. Christine succeeds Tamara Vrooman who announced her resignation on May 13 this year.

Christine currently serves as Vancity’s Chief Member Services Officer, leading the Member Experience & Community Engagement divisions. In her role, Christine oversees services to Vancity’s 543,000 members, including its branch network and retail, business, commercial and wealth management operations. She also leads the credit union’s community impact and investment strategies. Christine has worked at Vancity for over nine years during which she’s held several leadership roles including VP of Impact Investing, Wealth Management & Community Real Estate, and VP of Community Business Banking.

Christine’s achievements in fostering community impact, social justice and environmental sustainability have earned her accolades from Business in Vancouver magazine, which included her in its 2007 “Top 40 Under 40” list. In 2012, the Association of Women in Finance gave her the Rising Star award, and in 2017 Clean50 awards recognized her for her dedication to sustainability.

Prior to joining Vancity, much of Christine’s career involved working with entrepreneurs, financing innovative companies and building financial firms – all focused within the cleantech, sustainability and impact investing sectors. This included being a co-founder of Shoreline West Asset Management Inc. and being a founding team member at Chrysalix Energy Venture Capital.  Christine was an Adjunct Professor and Lecturer at the Sauder School of Business and is a board member of Aviso Wealth. She holds a B.A. in sociology from the University of Guelph, MBA in Strategic Management from UBC’s Sauder School of Business, and CIM designation.

Jan O’Brien, chair of Vancity’s Board of Directors, commented: “We’re excited to have someone with Christine’s knowledge and experience step into the role of Interim Chief Executive Officer to help guide Vancity in the months to come. Christine is an accomplished and respected leader who is well known to all our stakeholders and I am confident she will continue to build on the great work Vancity has already accomplished. Christine has been a driving force behind the development and execution of our strategic vision and response to COVID-19, and that will continue."

About Vancity

Vancity is a values-based financial co-operative serving the needs of its more than 543,000 member-owners and their communities, with offices and 60 branches located in Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, Victoria, Squamish and Alert Bay, within the unceded territories of the Coast Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw people. With $28.2 billion in assets plus assets under administration, Vancity is Canada’s largest community credit union. Vancity uses its assets to help improve the financial well-being of its members while at the same time helping to develop healthy communities that are socially, economically and environmentally sustainable.

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For more information:

Media Relations | Vancity
Nora Eastwood
mediarelations@vancity.com
T: 778-837-0394