Pat Horgan elected Chair of the Board of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce

HAMILTON, ON, Sept. 24, 2012 /CNW/ - Pat Horgan, Vice President, Manufacturing, Development & Operations, IBM Canada, was elected volunteer Chair of the Board of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce for 2012-2013 at its Annual General Meeting in Hamilton today.

"The Canadian Chamber is the primary and vital link between business and the federal government.  This year I want us to continue to work on our skills agenda. It will be about moving from learning to leading. We will also continue to work with the network on our important Top 10 Barriers to Competitiveness initiative," said Pat Horgan, Chair of the Board of Directors.

In his present role as Vice President, Manufacturing, Development and Operations, Pat leads business operations for IBM Canada across the CIO, supply chain, real estate, procurement, corporate citizenship and government programs areas. In addition, he provides leadership to the software lab organization and the microelectronic manufacturing plant in Bromont Quebec. Both of these organizations are the largest of their kind in Canada, holding world mandates in software development and microelectronics.

"Pat Horgan exemplifies the best of Canada's business community. He is an innovative, experienced executive who excels in business and gives back to the community. He understands the challenges facing Canadian businesses and is committed to helping them succeed," said Perrin Beatty, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. "He will be an outstanding Chair for the Canadian Chamber."

Pat Horgan has been an active member of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce's board of directors since 2008 and participates on many other boards, including the Canadian Council of Aboriginal Business, the Ontario Brain Institute, CivicAction, iCanada, University of Western CSTAR and the University of Waterloo Environmental Science. He leads IBM Canada's citizenship efforts which includes hundreds of not-for-profit organizations and is the executive sponsor of the IBM Aboriginal Network Group.

Pat Horgan is joined on the Canadian Chamber leadership team by:

Perrin Beatty, President and CEO, Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Ottawa, Ontario
Richard Payette, First Vice Chair, National Firm Development Partner, BDO Canada LLP, Montreal, Quebec
David Paterson, Second Vice Chair; Vice President, Government Relations and Public
Policy, Research in Motion (RIM), Waterloo, Ontario
Michael McMullen, Third Vice Chair; Executive Vice President for Northern Canada Retail Division, The North West Company, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Cathy Bennett, Treasurer; CEO, Bennett Group of Companies , St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
Robert Youden, Immediate Past-Chair of the Board; Partner, Savarin Consulting, Quispamsis, New Brunswick,

A high resolution photo of Pat Horgan is available at:
http://www.chamber.ca/images/uploads/Board_of_Directors/Pat_Horgan_ENG.pdf

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce is the vital connection between business and the federal government. It helps shape public policy and decision-making to the benefit of businesses, communities and families across Canada with a network of over 420 chambers of commerce and boards of trade, representing 192,000 businesses of all sizes in all sectors of the economy and in all regions. News and information are available at www.chamber.ca or follow us on Twitter @CdnChamberofCom.

SOURCE: CANADIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE