Dick Auchinleck to retire after 20 years of exemplary service on the TELUS Board, including eight years as Chair
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 10, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TELUS Corporation (TSX:T), (NYSE: TU) is pleased to announce that the TELUS Board of Directors (Board) has approved the appointment of the Honourable John P. Manley, P.C., O.C., as Chair of the Board, effective following his re-election at TELUS’ annual general meeting in early May 2023. Mr. Manley will succeed Dick Auchinleck, who is retiring after 20 years of exemplary service on the TELUS Board, including eight years as Chair. Mr. Manley’s appointment is a result of the company’s robust succession planning process, undertaken by the board following a third-party evaluation of the effectiveness of our board and our board members.
“John’s appointment as our new Board Chair is a testament to our robust succession planning process,” said Darren Entwistle, President and CEO of TELUS. “Over the course of his tenure on our Board, John has demonstrated exceptional professionalism, thought leadership and integrity, playing a key role in TELUS’ industry-leading growth strategy. We look forward to his continued contribution with his expertise, insightful guidance and deep understanding of our industry. This leadership progression will enable our continued success in our highly competitive and dynamic marketplace.”
Mr. Entwistle continued: “On behalf of the TELUS team, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Dick for his tremendous contributions and passionate dedication over the last two decades. Thanks to Dick’s leadership and wisdom, our organization has consistently delivered industry-leading operational and financial results, significantly outperforming our peers. Moreover, we delivered superior value for shareholders, offered industry-best customer service, and bolstered our globally recognized networks so that all Canadians have access to the information and resources that matter most. Critically, we also established and surpassed our ambitious Board diversity targets and became a leader in social capitalism, using our technology to drive meaningful change — from transforming access to healthcare and making our food supply more sustainable to reducing our environmental footprint and connecting Canadians in need.”
“Working alongside the TELUS Board, Darren and the TELUS leadership team over the past two decades has been highly gratifying: we achieved the largest tech IPO in TSX history with TELUS International, launched and expanded TELUS Health and TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods, earned global recognition for our world-leading networks and reached 18 million customer connections across our offerings, representing growth of 318 per cent since 2000,” said Mr. Auchinleck. “I am highly confident that TELUS is well positioned for continued success with John as Board Chair. His extensive experience and depth of knowledge on our rapidly changing industry will help TELUS to continue driving meaningful change and enable improved, social, environmental and economic outcomes for millions of citizens in Canada and around the world.”
“I feel privileged to succeed Dick as Chair of the Board and will work with conviction to build on his legacy as TELUS continues to transform and grow,” said Mr. Manley. “I look forward to dedicating my full time to being chair, and I am also deeply honoured by the Board’s confidence in me. I am committed to working in partnership with Darren, my fellow Board members and the talented leadership team at TELUS to advance our global, diversified expansion, lead the world in social capitalism and facilitate transformational change through technology for years to come.”
Dick Auchinleck
Mr. Auchinleck was employed by Gulf Canada Resources Limited for 25 years, retiring in 2001 as President and CEO. He also served as a Director of ConocoPhillips from 2001 to 2018, during which time he held the position of Lead Independent Director from 2007 to 2018. He is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta and the Institute of Corporate Directors. As an independent member of the TELUS Board since 2003 and Chair since 2015, Mr. Auchinleck has been instrumental in supporting the TELUS Board and CEO through a period of growth and accomplishment that are unmatched by TELUS’ peers in Canada and internationally. Notably, since the beginning of 2000 through early 2023, TELUS has generated a total shareholder return of 705 per cent, making it number one in the world amongst its telecom incumbent peers. In addition, Dick’s guidance has contributed to the significant increase in TELUS’ enterprise value of $64 billion – a six-fold increase since 2000 – and the achievement of a highly successful IPO for TELUS International with a market capitalization of over $10 billion.
John Manley
Mr. Manley is a Senior Business Advisor with Bennett Jones LLP. He was President and CEO of the Business Council of Canada, from 2010 to 2018, and previously served as Chair of the Board of Directors for CIBC and CAE Inc. Mr. Manley had a 16-year career in politics, serving as Deputy Prime Minister of Canada and Minister in the portfolios of Industry, Foreign Affairs and Finance. He was the longest serving Industry Minister since World War II. He is an Officer of the Order of Canada. Mr. Manley is one of the longest-serving Independent Directors of the TELUS Board and has served on all of the TELUS Board’s committees since 2012. During his tenure as the Chair of the Corporate Governance Committee, TELUS became one of only a few Canadian corporations to adopt and surpass Board diversity targets beyond gender, ensuring diverse representation at the highest level of its leadership.
About TELUS
TELUS (TSX: T, NYSE: TU) is a dynamic, world-leading communications technology company with $18 billion in annual revenue and 18 million customer connections spanning wireless, data, IP, voice, television, entertainment, video, and security. Our social purpose is to leverage our global-leading technology and compassion to drive social change and enable remarkable human outcomes. Our longstanding commitment to putting our customers first fuels every aspect of our business, making us a distinct leader in customer service excellence and loyalty. The numerous, sustained accolades TELUS has earned over the years from independent, industry-leading network insight firms showcase the strength and speed of TELUS’ global-leading networks, reinforcing our commitment to provide Canadians with access to superior technology that connects us to the people, resources and information that make our lives better.
Operating in 30 countries around the world, TELUS International (TSX and NYSE: TIXT) is a leading digital customer experience innovator that designs, builds, and delivers next-generation solutions, including AI and content moderation, for global and disruptive brands across high-growth industry verticals, including tech and games, communications and media and eCommerce and fintech.
TELUS Health is a global healthcare leader, which provides employee and family preventative healthcare and wellness solutions. Our TELUS team, along with our 100,000 health professionals, are leveraging the combination of TELUS’ strong digital and data analytics capabilities with our unsurpassed client service to dramatically improve remedial, preventative and mental health outcomes covering 68 million lives, and growing, around the world. As the largest provider of digital solutions and digital insights of its kind, TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods enables efficient and sustainable production from seed to store, helping improve the safety and quality of food and other goods in a way that is traceable to end consumers.
Driven by our determination and vision to connect all citizens for good, our deeply meaningful and enduring philosophy to give where we live has inspired TELUS and our team to contribute $1.5 billion, including 2 million days of service since 2000. This unprecedented generosity and unparalleled volunteerism have made TELUS the most giving company in the world. Together, let’s make the future friendly.
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For more information, please contact:
Jacinthe Beaulieu
TELUS Media Relations
jacinthe.beaulieu@telus.com
