Christine Bergeron is taking on the new role as the CEO of Concert Properties, a major real estate development firm based in Metro Vancouver.
In turn, she is leaving Vancity, after holding various leadership positions at the credit union for 12 years, including most recently as president and CEO.
Bergeron initially stepped in as the interim president in July 2020, when Tamara Vrooman left her longtime role as the CEO of Vancity for the position of president and CEO of Vancouver International Airport.
In January 2021, Bergeron was named as the new president and CEO of the credit union. Prior to taking on the head role of Vancity, she was the Chief Member Services Officer.
“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, in a statement.
“As Christine prepares to take on her new role at Concert Properties, we are confident in the strength of Vancity’s leadership team and the enduring impact of her legacy.”
Vancity credits Bergeron for her leadership efforts in making the credit union the first financial institution in Canada to announce a net-zero financed emissions target for 2040, and being the first financial in the country to offer its members a way to estimate the carbon dioxide emissions that come from their purchases.
Vancity’s most profitable years in its history were in 2021 and 2022, and its total capital dedicated to addressing key social and climate issues went up by 37% or $3 billion during this period.
“I am immensely proud of the progress we have made together towards creating a cleaner and more equitable world for our members and local communities,” said Bergeron.
At Concert Properties, Bergeron will replace David Podmore, who briefly returned to the real estate development firm’s leadership role last year to fill in the role vacated by Brian McCauley.
Although Concert Properties is a private company, it is owned by major Canadian unions and pension funds as their long-term investment tool.
Some of the company’s largest active development projects are located near SkyTrain Burquitlam Station in Coquitlam, where it is building multiple towers with over 2,500 homes, including a YMCA community centre that recently reached completion, and the Harbourside waterfront project in North Vancouver, where nearly 1,000 homes are under construction.