Bank of Nova Scotia today announced the appointment of Dr. Indira Samarasekera, President and Vice Chancellor of the University of Alberta, and Thomas O’Neill, retired chairman of PwC Consulting, as new members of the bank’s board of directors, effective May 26.

“The board welcomes Dr. Indira Samarasekera and Mr. Thomas O’Neill as new directors,” says Arthur Scace, chairman of the board, Scotiabank.

Samarasekera is the University of Alberta’s 12th president and the province’s first female university head. Born in Colombo, Sri Lanka, she is an Officer of the Order of Canada, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers (CIMM).

A member of the Prime Minister’s Advisory Committee on Public Service, as well as the Advisory Board for the Canadian Space Agency, Samarasekera sits on the boards of the Conference Board of Canada, the Public Policy Forum of Canada, the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC), the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research, and the Canadian International Council. She also serves on the President’s Visiting Committee for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

O’Neill was formerly CEO of PwC Consulting, COO of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Global, CEO of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Canada and chairman and CEO of Price Waterhouse Canada.

He is a director of BCE Inc., Loblaw Companies Limited, Nexen Inc. and Adecco S.A. He is a member of the External Audit Committee of the International Monetary Fund, Vice Chair of the Board of Governors of Queen’s University and a director of St. Michael’s Hospital.