Robert Poirier, OOnt, is a Canadian businessman, and a 2022 recipient of the Order of Ontario, for his work on infrastructure, environmental sustainability and community benefits.[1]
Robert Poirier served as managing director of pensions, trusts and alternative investment servicing at State Street from 2006 to 2016 before joining in 2017 the board of Northern Trust Company, Canada. Previously he held senior financial services strategy roles at Bell Canada and Bank of Montreal and as senior advisor to members of the Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce.Prior to his work in the private sector, during the government of Brian Mulroney, and following a 1992 Senate of Canada rule change by members of the Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration, Poirier worked on Parliament Hill as the first policy researcher to be hired directly by members of the Senate.
Following the 1993 federal election, and during the government of Jean Chrétien, Poirier served as a policy researcher to members of the newly established Special Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Commons to review Canada's defence policy culminating in a report entitled, Security in a Changing World, tabled in both chambers on October 21, 1994.[2] [3]
In 1995, Poirier then served as senior advisor to members of the Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce, where he served until 1999, and was responsible for many bills, motions and reports including Senate Motion No. 45 where he guided the same motion in the House of Commons leading to the eventual abolition, by the then federal finance minister, Paul Martin, of the foreign content rule on deferred registered income plans and advised on Bill C-78, An Act to establish the Public Sector Pension Investment Board[4] and governance provisions to establish the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investment Board).
Since 2019, Poirier has operated his strategy and governance advisory firm, NeuState Advisory, while also focusing on his board work.
In 2009, as a result of changes to the Canada Marine Act, by the government of Stephen Harper, increasing the size of the board of directors, Poirier was appointed[5] on the advice of the Finance Minister, Jim Flaherty, by the federal transport minister John Baird and later by Denis Lebel to the Toronto Port Authority which owns and operates Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. In 2015, he was elected chair of the board of directors[6] composed of individuals appointed by all levels of government – city, provincial, and federal.
In 2017, as chair of PortsToronto, including Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, Poirier oversaw the sale of the historic Toronto Harbour Commission Building to the Oxford Properties Group and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board for $96-million.[7] [8] In June 2022, he received the Professional Land Economist (PLE) designation by the Association of Ontario Land Economists (AOLE).[9]
After almost 12 years, Poirier left in 2021 due to legislative term limits, making him the longest serving board member.[10] Prior to leaving in 2021, Poirier oversaw a process to identify a financial investor that would be interested in operating Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport under lease "to reduce PortsToronto’s overall debt position, restore and enhance liquidity; enable ongoing and future infrastructure investment; and ensure the Airport’s long-term viability."[11] Poirier is said to have helped transform Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport into one of the most successful, community-oriented, and environmentally sustainable urban airports in North America.[12]
In 2017, Poirier received his ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors and joined the board of directors for the Northern Trust Company, Canada and currently serves as chair[13] and was elected to the board of directors of the Resource Productivity & Recovery Authority and in 2020, he was elected chair.[14] In 2019, he was appointed under the government of Doug Ford by the Ontario Minister of Transport, Jeff Yurk and later by Caroline Mulroney to Metrolinx, where he served as chair of the Real Estate Committee, and in 2024, as chair of the Capital Oversight Committee, overseeing an annual capital budget of approx. $6.8 billion and more than $75 billion worth of new transit projects.[15] [16] In 2022, Poirier was appointed by the Ontario Minister of Finance to The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation and serves as the chair of the Governance and Corporate Social Responsibility Committee.[17]
In 2020, Poirier published an article in the Financial Post, Supercharge the economic recovery with small- and medium-sized businesses,[18] and in 2021, in Renew Canada, Electric Ferry a First for Island Airport on the conversion of the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport passenger and vehicle ferry to electric power using Canadian technology.[19]
Poirier resides in Oakville, Ontario with his wife and family.[20]
He holds a Bachelor of Commerce cum laude from Ryerson University, where he was elected to its governing body, the Senate, and the Student Union as Vice President representing the Business School.