“Her Excellency the Governor General in Council, on the recommendation of the Minister of Finance, pursuant to subsection 9(1) of the Bank of Canada Act, approves the appointment by the Minister of Finance of Peter Dhillon, O.B.C., of Vancouver, British Columbia, to be a director of the Board of Directors of the Bank of Canada, to hold office during good behaviour for a term ending on November 29, 2019.,” wrote the Privy Council Office late Tuesday evening, announcing Dhillon’s appointment.

By PD Raj – Senior Writer DESIBUZZCanada

VANCOUVER – Respected BC business leader and scion of a pioneering Indo-Canadian pioneer family Peter Dhillon received a plum upper echelon Canadian government appointment to the Bank of Canada board, becoming the first Indo-Canadian ever to serve on the iconic financial institution.

“Her Excellency the Governor General in Council, on the recommendation of the Minister of Finance, pursuant to subsection 9(1) of the Bank of Canada Act, approves the appointment by the Minister of Finance of Peter Dhillon, O.B.C., of Vancouver, British Columbia, to be a director of the Board of Directors of the Bank of Canada, to hold office during good behaviour for a term ending on November 29, 2019.,” wrote the Privy Council Office late Tuesday evening, announcing Dhillon’s appointment.

Dhillon becomes part of the board of directors of the Bank of Canada (BoC), joining other Canadian business luminaries and industry leaders. The Board is chaired by the BoC Governor who sets the financial direction for the Canadian banking industry including setting the interest rates as well as "to promote the economic and financial welfare of Canada." Their responsibilities include: providing general oversight of the management and administration of the Bank.

Dhillon, who along with his late father Rashpal Singh Dhillon, built the lucrative cranberry empire, is active in several business enterprises, including serving as CEO of the Richberry Group of Companies, an agribusiness enterprise with operations in British Columbia and Quebec.

The Richberry Group consists of cranberry companies, which combined, are one of Ocean Spray Cranberries largest shareholders and suppliers. Dhillon is currently Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ocean Spray Cranberries Ltd. – the youngest and first Canadian to hold the position.

 Dhillon is known for giving back to the community with his philanthropic and charitable service, which has spanned a wide variety of important areas including health care, child humanitarian support, education, and sport.

The Dhilon family has made significant financial contributions to many organizations including Kwantlen Polytechnic University, the Canadian Red Cross, the Canadian Olympic Committee, Arts Umbrella, and the Khalsa Diwan Society.

At the University of British Columbia, he established the Rashpal Dhillon Pulmonary Fibrosis Research Endowment and the Rashpal Dhillon Track & Field Centre in his father’s memory. Most recently, Peter established the Peter P. Dhillon Centre for Business Ethics in partnership with the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia.

In 2009 he was honoured with The Order of British Columbia in recognition of his achievements and services. Most recently in a partnership with the Sauder School of Business the Peter P. Dhillon Centre for Business Ethics was established.

In addition to his current business and philanthropic activities, Dhillon has also held many other board positions including: Vice Chairman; British Columbia Ferry Corporation, Vice Chairman; Agriculture Land Commission, which oversees all agriculture lands in British Columbia, Board Director; Canada Customs and Revenue Agency, Board Director; Vancouver Airport Authority, Board Governor; Simon Fraser University, Board Director; VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation, Board Director; Seacor Environmental and Board Director; Canwel Building Materials.

This is just a highlight of the spectrum of Boards Dhillon has sat on.

Dhillon was also on the Vancouver 2010 Organizing Committee Board as Chairman of the Audit Committee. Dhillon was a member of the Board of the Vancouver 2010 Bid Corporation.

Dhillon was the chair of the Vancouver branch of Right To Play, the only global-scale implementer of Sport for Development and Peace programs. Right To Play uses specially-designed sport and play programs to improve health, build life skills, and foster peace for children and communities affected by war, poverty, and disease, working in both the humanitarian and development contexts in more than 20 countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

Dhillon is involved in the local community; having served in numerous volunteer positions including trustee of the Richmond Hospital Foundation, member of the Steering Committee for the 1999 Grey Cup, Honourary Chairman of the Canadian Olympic Committee 2003 and 2009 Annual Conference and Olympic Hall of Fame Dinner.

Dhillon graduated from the University of British Columbia where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in History. He continued his education in the UK with a LL.B. with honours from the University of Leeds.