The Council of Ontario Universities (COU) has announced that David Lindsay has been appointed the new President and CEO of the organization. Lindsay will replace outgoing President Bonnie Patterson, who served for six years.
Lindsay was most recently the President of the Forest Products Association of Canada. He has held deputy minister roles in the Ontario Ministries of Energy and Infrastructure, Northern Development, Mines and Forestry, Natural Resources, and Tourism and Culture. He also led the Ontario Superbuild Corporation and the Ontario Jobs and Investment Board. He served as Chief of Staff to Premier Mike Harris from 1995 to 1997.
While Lindsay is a relative newcomer to the university sector, he does have experience with postsecondary education, serving as President of Colleges Ontario for two years. He is currently a Fellow at the Queen’s University School of Public Policy.
David Lindsay will begin his term on January 1, 2016.