BlueShore Financial Announces Ian Thomas as President and CEO
BlueShore Financial announced today that its Board of Directors has selected Ian Thomas as the organization’s new President and CEO, effective November 14, 2023. The selection follows a comprehensive national search by the Board of Directors. Ian succeeds Chris Catliff, who announced his retirement in March 2023 and is retiring at the end of September. During the six-week transition period, Deb Best, Chief Human Resources Officer, will serve as interim CEO.
“Ian brings to BlueShore a long track record of leadership in driving solid financial results, building high-performance teams, and deepening member engagement throughout his career within the Canadian financial services sector,” said Diana Chan, Chair of the Board of Directors, BlueShore Financial. “Ian has demonstrable strength in areas important to successfully leading the organization, including client experience, risk management, and technology innovation.”
Ian has a breadth of executive experience with large and mid-sized Canadian credit unions, with most recently serving as CEO of Kindred Credit Union for nearly five years. Prior to that, he held several executive roles during his ten years at Coast Capital Savings including their inaugural Chief Risk Officer, Vice-President Retail and Wealth, and Chief Member Experience Officer, in addition to his extensive risk advisory experience at Deloitte.
“BlueShore Financial has a solid reputation for its premium client experience, deep financial expertise, and differentiated strategy and brand, matched by an unwavering commitment to client and employee well-being,” said Ian Thomas. “I’m honoured to join BlueShore and work alongside the Board and Management team to lead the organization to long-term sustainability and success.”
Diana Chan adds, “On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would also like to wish Chris well on his retirement and thank him for his 23 years of leadership at BlueShore.”
As BlueShore’s interim CEO, Deb will work closely with the Board of Directors and executive team to continue to execute on BlueShore’s strategy.