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New President takes office at
(TORONTO) -- One of Canada’s most respected business leaders has been named President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Executive Service Organization (CESO), a not-for-profit, volunteer-based international development agency. “I feel privileged to be joining this great Canadian organization with a solid reputation for helping thousands of people in Canada and around the world,” said Gord Cummings. “By inviting me to take the helm at this time, the Board of Directors has done me a great honour and I look forward to serving the organization as we continue our efforts on behalf of others.” Founded in 1967, CESO transfers expertise to Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities , businesses and organizations in Canada and in developing nations and countries in transition in Central and Eastern Europe. These skills transfers are carried out by Volunteer Advisers (VAs), Canadian men and women, most of whom are retired or semi-retired and draw on their education and lifetime of experience to empower people through problem-solving, skills transfer and sharing of practical information and ideas. “CESO volunteers are helping to make a positive difference and I am very proud to be a part of it,” says Mr. Cummings, whose career highlights include 15 years with Woods Gordon (now Ernst & Young) which he joined in 1969, becoming a Principal in 1971 and a Partner in 1974. In 1984, he joined National Sea Products of Halifax , first as Chief Operating Officer (COO) then as CEO. In 1990, he was asked to join the United Co-operative of Ontario (UCO), first as COO then CEO, and led it through five years of restructuring. When the Alberta Wheat Pool was looking for a change in direction in 1995, they approached Mr. Cummings to direct the member-owned enterprise with annual gross revenues of more than $2 billion. He subsequently led discussions/negotiations that saw the merger of the Alberta and Manitoba pools to create Agricore in 1998 and Mr. Cummings was selected as the CEO of the new organization. He left in 2001 after successful negotiations that saw Agricore and United Grain Growers merge to create Agricore United, Western Canada’s leading agri-business. Born and raised in Montreal, Mr. Cummings married Barbara who is also from Montreal. They have since lived in Halifax, Calgary, Winnipeg, Oakville and Toronto and have two grown children, daughter Lesley and son Greg, who also live in Toronto. Mr. Cummings, a Certified Management Accountant (CMA), has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Concordia University and a Master of Business Administration degree from McMaster University. Among his many activities, he has been on the Government of Canada Advisory Committee on Adjustment regarding Free Trade, President of the Society of Management Accountants of Canada and the Quebec Corporation and he has been named a Fellow of the Society of Management Accountants. CESO QUICK FACTS: CESO has a talent bank of 3,500 Volunteer Advisers (VAs) CESO is supported by its principal funders, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC), as well as corporations, foundations and individual Canadians. We have completed more than 40,000 assignments in over 100 countries. Our goal is to develop the capacity of people in the public sector and in small and medium-sized enterprises to produce goods and services which create jobs and strengthen local communities. CESO volunteers have expertise in areas such as agriculture, government/governance, manufacturing, primary resources and services, including health care. They serve as mentors and advisers with businesses, government agencies and social enterprises. This year alone they will work on approximately 1,200 assignments. -30-
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