After a dozen years in leadership positions at Vancity, most recently as president and CEO, Christine Bergeron will step down from the credit union's top job to join Concert Properties as president and CEO.
Bergeron will remain with Vancity until mid-July 2023, according to a news release published April 25. She will join Concert Properties effective Sept. 5.
Vancity’s board of directors will name an interim president and CEO in the coming weeks.
“Under Christine's leadership, Vancity has undergone a remarkable transformation, extending our legacy as a leading force for social and environmental impact. Her unwavering commitment to Vancity's values and purpose has strengthened our organization's culture and laid the groundwork for continued success," said Rita Parikh, chair of Vancity’s board of directors, in a news release.
Bergeron said in the release that she is proud of the progress Vancity has made towards creating a cleaner and more equitable world for its members and local communities, and that she is excited to join Concert in fall and continue her leadership in building sustainable communities.
"I look forward to working alongside Vancity in continuing to build sustainable, resilient and thriving communities,” said Bergeron.
“I see a strong alignment between Concert's culture, vision and values and my own, and I am eager to apply my leadership, finance and investment experience to support Concert Properties' objective of creating resilient, inclusive, and sustainable communities,” she added.
David Podmore, co-founder and current chair, president and CEO of Concert Properties, will remain on as the company’s board chair.
“Christine's impressive background in corporate finance, portfolio management, deal structuring, and investments, combined with her inclusive and collaborative leadership style, makes her the ideal person to lead Concert Properties. I am confident in her ability to take us into the next phase of our growth,” Podmore stated in a news release.
Bergeron joined Vancity in 2011. As a nationally recognized leader, she has been the recipient of several awards, including a 2022 BIV Influential Women in Business Award.
Bergeron has also served on a number of boards, including InBC Investment Corp. (as chair), the United Nations Environment Program Finance Initiative, Aviso Wealth Inc. and CU Cumis Wealth Holdings Inc.
Vancity is Canada’s largest community credit union, with $34 billion in assets plus assets under administration. The financial co-operative serves more than 560,000 members with offices and more than 50 branches located in Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, Victoria, Squamish and Alert Bay.
Concert Properties has developed, acquired and managed Canadian real estate since 1989. With over $9 billion in assets, the company is backed and owned by more than 200,000 Canadians, represented by union and management pension plans and institutional investors.
Concert Properties comprises three corporate entities, Concert Real Estate Corp., Concert Infrastructure and Concert Income Properties.