2010 Recipient—Paul Tellier

		Montreal, November 16 — The Honourable Paul M. Tellier received The Conference Board of Canada’s Honorary Associate Award on Wednesday, November 17, in recognition of his distinguished and highly successful career.

“Outstanding business executive, respected senior public servant, corporate director par excellence, transformational leader, charismatic personality — Paul Tellier is all of these,” said Anne Golden, President and CEO of the Conference Board. “Paul’s visionary leadership has benefitted Canada enormously.”

The Honorary Associate Award is the Conference Board’s highest honour. It is awarded annually to persons who have served both their organization and their country with distinction.

Paul Tellier is best known for transforming CN Rail from a Crown corporation into a highly profitable, publicly traded company and one of the most efficient rail systems on the continent. In 1998, after six years at the helm of CN, he was named Canada’s Outstanding CEO of the Year.

He was CEO of Bombardier in 2003 and 2004, and in this capacity was named Canada’s Most Respected CEO.

Before taking over the leadership of CN, Mr. Tellier had a long and distinguished career in the public service. From 1985 to 1992, he was the most senior civil servant in the Canadian government, as Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet.

Mr. Tellier co-chairs the Prime Minister’s Advisory Committee on the Public Service and was a member of the Independent Advisory Panel on Canada’s Future Role in Afghanistan. He is also a strategic advisor to Société Générale, the global bank headquartered in France. He is a director of Rio Tinto plc, Rio Tinto Ltd., GM Canada, and McCain Foods Ltd., and is chair of the board of Global Container Terminals Inc. From 1996 to 1998, he was chair of the board of The Conference Board of Canada, and he served on the board of directors from 1993 to 2000. In May of this year, Mr. Tellier was inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame.

Watch the Video Tribute to Paul Tellier