The Canadian Foundation for the Advancement of Investor Rights (FAIR Canada), a Toronto-based non-profit investor advocacy group, recently appointed a new chairwoman and elected two new members to serve on its board of directors.

Ellen Roseman was appointed chairwoman following the resignation of Stanley Beck. Roseman, who has served on FAIR Canada’s board since 2009, is a personal finance and consumer affairs columnist with the Toronto Star’s business section and the author of numerous books on personal finance and consumer issues. She also teaches courses in investing and personal finance at the University of Toronto’s and Ryerson’s continuing studies departments.

Beck, who resigned this fall, was one of FAIR Canada’s co-founders and first directors and was chairman of the board for the first four years of the organization’s operations.

“Mr. Beck’s chairmanship provided guidance to the organization throughout its formative stages and strengthened its ability to advocate for investor rights,” said Executive Director Ermanno Pascutto in a release.

At FAIR Canada’s annual members meeting, members re-appointed existing directors and elected two new directors, Rossa O’Reilly and Marc Ryan to the board.

O’Reilly is a past board member and chairman of the CFA Institute and a past trustee of the CFA Institute’s Research Foundation. He has 40 years of experience analyzing publicly traded equities in the real estate, conglomerate and transportation sectors and developing stock market strategy. O’Reilly has been the editor of the CFA Society’s quarterly magazine and contributes to this and other periodicals.

Ryan worked for the Quebec Securities Commission (now the Autorite des marches financiers) as a lawyer and as an advisor to the commission. Thereafter, he specialized as legal counsel in financial and securities law with Bell Canada and its parent company, BCE Inc. where he held various positions including General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. In 2008 Ryan founded IndependentInvestor.info, a bilingual internet site which publishes information for individual investors.

FAIR Canada has also adjusted its committee memberships as a result of the director changes. The finance and audit committee is now composed of Robert Pouliot (chairman), Ellen Roseman and Tania Willumsen. The executive committee members are Ellen Roseman (chairwoman), Neil de Gelder, Claude Lamoureux, and Dawn Russell.

FAIR Canada’s Board is composed of the following individuals:

  • Stan Buell, Toronto
  • Neil de Gelder, Vancouver
  • Stephen A. Jarislowsky, Montreal
  • Claude Lamoureux, Toronto
  • Rossa O’Reilly, Toronto
  • Ermanno Pascutto (Executive Director), Toronto
  • Robert Pouliot, Montreal
  • Ellen Roseman (Chairman), Toronto
  • Dawn Russell, Fredericton
  • Marc J. Ryan, Montreal
  • Tania Willumsen, Calgary