It is my honour and privilege to present the AGCO’s 2019-2020 Annual Report, my first as Chair of the Board of Directors. It was an extraordinary year of accomplishments and challenges, especially in the face of the COVID 19 pandemic at the end of this fiscal year. On behalf of the entire Board, I would like to thank all AGCO staff for their continued agility, adaptability, and dedication to public service. Our priority as a regulator has been to reduce burden, increase business flexibility and consumer choice while supporting the province in its efforts to contain the pandemic. While it comes as no surprise, the agency’s response to the pandemic was swift, responsible, thoughtful and above all, it put people first. I am so proud of the ways in which this organizational value comes to life in our work as a regulator and in a time of crisis.
I would like to recognize and thank outgoing AGCO Chair, Grace Kerr for her excellent leadership and unwavering resilience especially during such a transformative time under her term as Chair. Her long tenure and commitment to the AGCO has made a true and lasting impact.
In June 2019, Dave Forestell was appointed Vice-Chair of the Board. Dave was first appointed to the Board in December 2018. I look forward to continuing to work with Dave in this capacity and to his valuable contributions to the Board. As well, in February 2020, the Board welcomed two new Board Members: Cara Vaccarino and Douglas McLarty. Cara and Douglas come to the Board with extensive backgrounds in the fields of mental health and finance and we are thrilled to have them join us as they assume the important responsibilities of an AGCO Board member.
In February of this year, the AGCO Board received some significant news, our CEO, Jean Major, informed the Board of his intention to retire in 2020, after 35 years of public service and 16 years at the helm of the AGCO. Under Jean’s leadership, the AGCO completely revolutionized its approach to regulation. He established a culture of burden reduction, industry collaboration and customer service that are now driving principles behind all the agency’s work. This has all been accomplished while ensuring the regulator remained a strong defender of the public interest and a responsible steward of both public and industry funds. On behalf of the AGCO’s Board of Directors and staff, I would like to extend our deep appreciation to Jean and wish him the very best as he embarks on this next chapter.
I am pleased to announce that the AGCO’s Board of Directors has chosen Tom Mungham as the AGCO’s new CEO. Tom is currently the agency’s Chief Operating Officer. He has been an invaluable member of the AGCO’s C-Suite for the last 14 years and one of the primary architects behind the AGCO’s transformation as a modern regulator. Although the organization’s leadership may be changing, its dedication to government policy, to Ontarians and to the sectors it serves will not. Under Tom’s leadership, the AGCO will continue to move forward with its ambitious objectives, modernizing all aspects of its regulation, enhancing service to customers, and remaining a responsible employer that attracts and retains the highest caliber talent. The Board looks forward to working with Tom and the rest of the C-Suite and we wish him every success in his new role!
Once again, I would like to thank the AGCO Staff and C-Suite for their outstanding work and achievements in the 2019-2020 fiscal year. I am delighted to be part of such an innovative, talented and caring community of public servants and I look forward to seeing all we will achieve next.
Lalit Aggarwal
Chair