Previous Chair Retiring After Completing Full Term Overseeing Modernization of Organization
TORONTO - Tarion is pleased to announce the appointment of Andy Kenins as its new Board Chair, following the retirement of Board Chair Hari Panday. Mr. Panday retired after completing his full term of nine years on the Tarion board, serving the past three years in the role of Chair. Mr. Kenins now takes on the leadership role at the board, and is also joined by three new board members.
"I'm excited to be taking on this new leadership role with Tarion and to be continuing the ongoing evolution and delivery of one of the best new home warranty programs in the country that provides consumers with the confidence when making one of the biggest purchases of their lives," said Andy Kenins, Board Chair. "I want to thank Hari Panday for his leadership over the past few years as Tarion has gone through a tremendous process to modernize and re-shape ourselves as an organization."
Mr. Kenins has served on the Tarion board since 2017, previously serving as the Vice-Chair of the Board, Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee, and a Member of the Human Resource Committee. Prior to joining Tarion's Board, he was a partner at KPMG in the financial services audit practice and during his career at KPMG he provided audit and advisory services to every nature of financial services organization, from Canada's major banks to start-up banks, credit unions, insurers, investment dealers and banking technology companies. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant and has the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.
The Board has also elected three new members to fill vacancies and to provide the board with a range of desired skills, diversity, and representation of communities across Ontario.
Tarion welcomes Carol Jardine, Maria Kyveris and Fiona Coughlin to the Board. Ms. Jardine is the retired CEO of Wawanesa Insurance with a track record of leading strategic change in large organizations and complex businesses, including previously serving as the Chair of the Institute of Catastrophic Loss Reduction; past member of the Board of Directors and Audit Committee of the Insurance Bureau of Canada, and was awarded the National Established Leader Award in 2022 by the Insurance Institute of Canada and named to Insurance Canada's 2020 Elite Women list.
Ms. Kyveris is the VP of PK Custom Homes in Kitchener, a small volume builder, who has over seventeen years of municipal permitting and building experience, possessing an excellent knowledge of the development approval process and compliance to municipal standards, and has overseen and completed residential, commercial and industrial development projects throughout the Region of Waterloo. Ms. Kyveris has also served on Tarion’s Industry Advisory Council for the past two years.
Ms. Coughlin is the Executive Director and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Windsor-Essex, and she is a passionate advocate for affordable housing and has devoted her 23-year career to opening doors for families living in core housing need, has a deep understanding of the challenges facing low-income families, and is committed to finding innovative solutions to address these issues. Ms. Coughlin has an extensive background in housing advocacy, non-profit management and leadership, and was named the Windsor Essex Chamber of Commerce Professional of the Year in 2022 for her contributions and leadership in the affordable housing sector.
After nine years on the Board, outgoing Board Chair Hari Panday departs the organization having overseen several transformative years and modernization of the organization.
The new Board Chair and the new Board members will continue to provide leadership Tarion as the organization continues to help homeowners, increase consumer confidence, and create a stronger new home warranty and protection program for all Ontarians.
Tarion is an independent non-profit organization whose purpose is to administer Ontario’s new home warranty and protection program. Tarion’s Board is skills-based, and made up of twelve individuals drawn from a variety of backgrounds and experience, all of whom share a common interest in serving the public interest and supporting Ontario’s new home buyers. The Tarion Board includes four individuals appointed by the provincial government, four individuals nominated as At-Large-Members, and a maximum of four individuals with relevant industry experience.
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