TORONTO (March 27, 2019) – Jim Keohane, President & CEO of the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP), announced today that he will be retiring in March of 2020.
He will continue in his role for a full year while the Board of Trustees conducts an extensive search to find a successor, and will work closely with the Board to ensure a smooth transition.
Jim began his career at HOOPP in 1999 as Manager, Equity Trading. From there, he had progressively senior roles and became CEO in 2012. He is a pioneer in the area of Liability-Driven Investing, which he introduced and implemented at HOOPP; and he developed HOOPP’s derivatives capability, which is considered second to none in Canada. During Jim’s time as President & CEO, the Fund has doubled in size, growing to $79 billion in assets.
“Jim is well respected around the world for his pension advocacy, investment strategy and leadership,” said Adrian Foster, Chair, HOOPP Board of Trustees. “Under his leadership, he and his team have done an exemplary job of delivering on the pension promise. He has built a strong culture and business platform to help ensure the organization will continue to meet its critically important mandate of providing pension security to members.”
Dan Anderson, Vice Chair, HOOPP Board of Trustees added: “On behalf of the entire Board, I congratulate Jim on an outstanding career, thank him for his lasting and ongoing contribution, and wish him all the best for the next chapter of his life.”
“It is an honour to be a part of HOOPP and I am very proud of the many shared achievements during my time with the organization,” said Jim. “We have excelled during times of challenge and change and, most importantly, we have continually strengthened our ability to deliver on the pension promise to our members.”
He added: “I am grateful for the talent, dedication and support of HOOPP staff, the passion and commitment of our members, and the opportunity to represent and talk about HOOPP around the world. I will retire next year knowing that HOOPP is well positioned for the future and has a great team in place to continue on our 59-year history.”
About the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan
Created in 1960, HOOPP is a multi-employer contributory defined benefit plan for Ontario’s hospital and community-based healthcare sector with more than 570 participating employers. HOOPP’s membership includes nurses, medical technicians, food services staff and housekeeping staff, and many other people who work hard to provide valued Ontario healthcare services. In total, HOOPP has more than 350,000 active, deferred and retired members.
As a defined benefit plan, HOOPP provides eligible members with a retirement income based on a formula that takes into account a member's earnings history and length of service in the Plan. HOOPP is governed by a Board of Trustees with representation from the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) and four unions: the Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA), the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), the Ontario Public Service Employees' Union (OPSEU), and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). The unique governance model provides representation from both management and workers in support of the long-term interests of the Plan.
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