Claire M. C. Kennedy

Board of Directors Member

Claire Kennedy was appointed to the Bank of Canada’s Board of Directors in December 2012 and reappointed in June 2018.

Born in Toronto, Ontario, Ms. Kennedy received her BASc in Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry from the University of Toronto in 1989 and her LL.B from Queen’s University in 1994. Called to the bar in Ontario in 1996, Ms. Kennedy was law clerk to the late Honourable Mr. Justice Charles D. Gonthier of the Supreme Court of Canada.

Recognized as one of Canada’s leading tax lawyers, Ms. Kennedy is a partner at Bennett Jones LLP, where she advises domestic and international clients on tax matters relating to acquisitions, financings, reorganizations, restructurings and the establishment of private equity and debt funds. She also represents clients during tax and transfer pricing audits, and disputes with the Canada Revenue Agency.

Ms. Kennedy is active in the International Bar Association’s Taxes Committee, and is a member of the Council of the Canadian branch of the International Fiscal Association (IFA). She has taught corporate tax at the Faculty of Law at Queen’s University. She is also a member of the Dean’s Council at Queen’s Law and has been extensively involved at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Engineering. In 2007, Ms. Kennedy received the Arbor Award for outstanding volunteer service to the University of Toronto and, in July 2012, she was appointed to the University of Toronto’s Governing Council.

Ms. Kennedy is a former director of Neo Material Technologies Inc., a TSX-listed company. She has an ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors, and has completed the Making Corporate Boards More Effective program at Harvard Business School and the Financial Literacy Program for Directors and Executives at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. She is also currently enrolled in the Advanced Management Program at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.