Biography of Mr. Bruce R. Birmingham

A long time commitment to supporting and fostering education is at the heart of Bruce Birmingham’s background and career.

Born and raised in Montreal, Bruce Birmingham acquired a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Sir George Williams University and Master of Business Administration degree at the University of British Columbia in 1971. After leaving university, he embarked on a highly successful 30-year career in international and commercial banking with Scotiabank.

Birmingham joined Scotiabank in 1971. He started his career working in the Corporate Banking offices in New York and went on to hold a number of senior positions in International and Commercial Banking in Canada. He was appointed as Vice-Chairman and member of the Board of Directors in 1992 and served as President and Director of Scotiabank from 1995 until his retirement in 2002. During his tenure, Birmingham was instrumental to the growth and international expansion of Scotiabank and served as director of many of the Bank’s subsidiary boards.

Bruce Birmingham’s commitment to education is reflected by his tremendous support in fundraising for UBC and other Canadian universities. He was active in this area as a Faculty Advisory Board member at the Sauder School of Business at UBC. He has provided support to Concordia University and Brock University, and assumed a leadership role in fundraising as Chair of the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario.

Bruce’s community support extends beyond the area of education. He is currently a member of the Board of Governors for the Stratford Festival of Canada, and in 2004, he provided a generous gift that enabled them to establish a conservatory for classical theatre training. He is a past Trustee of the Oakville Hospital Foundation and helped to finance new operating facilities at Oakville Trafalgar Hospital. He is currently a Director of Cineplex Galaxy and his many past directorships include Luscar Coal and Income Fund and Indigo Books & Music Inc.

Birmingham received an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from the University of Western Ontario in 2003. He and his wife Betty currently reside in Oakville, Ontario.

For more information, please contact:

Leanna Yip
Director, Marketing and Communications
Tel: (604)822.0229
Cell: (604)616.0400
leanna.yip@sauder.ubc.ca