Alterna - Acclaimed Directors

Ken Chan
Acclaimed Director

Ken Chan has served on the Board of Alterna Savings since 2012 and Alterna Bank since 2013. Ken is Chief Administrative Officer and Bursar at Victoria University in the University of Toronto. His previous roles included Vice President for Administration at Brock University, Assistant Deputy Minister for the Ontario Government’s COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Secretariat and Assistant Deputy Minister for Transformation and Delivery at the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. Ken also held senior roles at Vertex Pharmaceuticals and at Cystic Fibrosis Canada. His international public service experience included positions with the UK Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and at London City Hall. Ken is on the boards of ALS Canada, Pathstone Foundation and Open For Business (UK). He holds the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Between 2019 and 2022, Ken served on the board of the Directors’ Forum Co-operative, a non-profit organization that has provided professional development, education and networking opportunities to credit union directors in Ontario for over thirty years.

Ken is currently completing his PhD studies at ESCP Business School, Sorbonne Alliance. He has a Master of Forensic Accounting from the University of Toronto, a Master of Business Administration from the City University of Seattle and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Simon Fraser University.

Contribution Statement - Ken Chan

I have the privilege of serving on the founding board of Alterna Savings following the merger of Metro Credit Union and CS-Coop in 2005, and again since 2012. I’m seeking the opportunity to continue serving on Alterna’s board of directors.

During my time on the board, my focus has been on putting people first while ensuring the long-term financial sustainability of our credit union.

I want to continue working with our board and management to ensure Alterna Savings continues to be a strong, stable and secure credit union over the long-term as we navigate through the economic challenges due to the global pandemic.

As we take on the economic challenges head on, I offer Alterna the following assets:

Continuity on the board,
Experienced leadership,
Passion for credit unions and commitment to co-operative values, and
Governance and executive management experience.

Based on the skills and competencies being sought in 2024, I offer the following:

Experience serving on the audit and finance committees at Alterna Savings, Alterna Bank, ALS Society of Canada, Pathstone Foundation, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, Home Ownership Alternatives, Sherbourne Health Centre and North York General Hospital.
Significance financial institution governance experience based on my current service on the Alterna Savings and Alterna Bank boards.
Senior leadership for finance, risk management and IT functions at two large and complex public sector organizations.
Exposure to a millennial/Gen Z demographic gained during my work at universities.
Completion of the ICD.D designation and other governance courses.

Thank you for your consideration – and your vote.

Earl Campbell
Acclaimed Director

Earl Campbell is a Past Chair of the Alterna Savings Board and Alterna Bank Board having served as Chair of Metro Credit Union. The retired Director of Education and CEO of the Scarborough Board of Education, Mr. Campbell is President of Earl G. Campbell Consulting specializing in leadership development, governance and strategic planning. He has extensive experience serving on a number of Boards and has served as Chair of the Board of the Ontario Credit Union Foundation and Chair and President of the Scarborough Walk of Fame Association Board. Earl has been a member of the Board of his community association in Swan Lake Village and has been a credit union member for 59 years supporting cooperative based financial services.

Mr. Campbell has served as Vice Chair of the Ontario Consent and Capacity Board, an independent body to conduct hearings under a number of health-related Acts.

Mr. Campbell has experience as CEO of one of Canada’s largest urban school systems as well as managing a small business as an entrepreneur. He has facilitated the strategic planning process for several organizations and has coached a number of business leaders of both small and large enterprises.

Earl received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from York University and his Master of Education Degree from the University of Toronto. He has received mediation training at Osgoode Hall Law School, York University and has served on appeal and grievance committees. Earl is a Distinguished Educator, OISE, University of Toronto.

Mr. Campbell has served as President of the Ontario and Canadian Councils for Exceptional Children and has been a member of the International Executive Committee. He has received a number of awards and recognitions for his leadership in education and the community. Earl is an ordained Deacon, Anglican Church.

Contribution Statement - Earl Campbell

These are challenging times for financial organizations with shrinking margins, limited profitability and increasing regulations. Experienced and committed governance leadership is needed now more than ever. I am committed to the flow of new ideas, innovations, new collaborative possibilities and new market opportunities in order to position Alterna Savings for success. I will ensure that the Staff and Directors keep before us what we want Alterna Savings to be in a competitive and turbulent financial sector.

As Chair of Alterna Savings during the merger of our two legacy organizations in 2005, I provided leadership during a challenging and difficult time of integration and transition to our new organization. I demonstrated the confidence and competence to manage the difficult governance issues and keep the large Board focused. My experience in managing mergers and developing new partnerships will be very useful in growing the organization going forward.

I believe that the most crucial factors for Alterna’s future success are strategic alignment and a culture that supports digital innovation including:

a focused strategy for increased use of technology to communicate with members and support for on-line financial services
a winning overall business strategy to increase the significance of Alterna Bank beyond Ontario
strong member awareness of our services, especially wealth management
development of new partnerships to enhance existing products and services for members
great staff talent for the successful implementation of the strategies.

As a seasoned and responsible Board Member, I will provide leadership in strengthening the role of our community branches, staff training and competencies.

I ask for your support for re-election to the Alterna Savings Board so that I can continue to represent your interests and work on the key initiatives which I have identified.