Stephen Bowman Appointed Chair of the Royal Ontario Museum`s Board of Trustees

TORONTO, January 17, 2020 – The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) announced today the Order-in-Council appointment of Stephen W. Bowman as Chair of the ROM’s Board of Trustees for a three-year term, effective immediately. Bowman has served as a member of the Museum’s Board of Governors since 2015. He has also been a member of the ROM’s Bishop White Committee since 2014 and its Co-Chair since May 2019. Bowman replaces Martha Durdin, who served as Chair of the Board of Trustees from 2016–2019.

“We are delighted that Stephen will be the next Chair of the Board of Trustees,” says Josh Basseches, ROM Director & CEO. “Stephen has been deeply committed to the ROM for many years and recognizes the vital role museums play as community builders and the importance of art, culture and nature in people's lives. I look forward to working with Stephen as we continue to open the doors of the Museum wider to our communities and pursue our goal to become one of the foremost museums in the world.”

Basseches adds: “I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank our Vice-Chairs, Maureen Jensen and Ian Madell, for their leadership, as well as our past Chair, Martha Durdin, for her invaluable contributions to the organization.”

A seasoned senior executive with an extensive background in law, management and finance, Bowman is currently Vice Chair of the law firm Bennett Jones and managing partner of its Toronto office. He chairs the company’s China and Asia teams and serves on the Board of Directors of the Canada China Business Council. In addition, Bowman is Co-Chair of the International Bar Association’s Law Firm Management Committee and past President of the Canadian Branch of the International Fiscal Association. He holds BA and LLB degrees from University of Toronto.

“The ROM will continue to be in good hands as Stephen Bowman brings years of leadership experience to his new role as Chair of the Board of Trustees,” says Lisa MacLeod, Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries. “I know he will work diligently with his colleagues to leverage all that the ROM has to offer as we work to protect and promote our unique cultural fabric, while showcasing our province as a year-round destination of choice to the rest of the world.”

Bowman assumes his leadership role at a dynamic time in the Museum’s evolution. Last year, the ROM welcomed 1.34 million visitors, contributing to its ranking as the #1 museum in Canada and among the top 10 art museums in North America. With a new Strategic Direction in place and a lineup of high-profile and thought-provoking programming and exhibitions slated for 2020, including Bloodsuckers: Legends to Leeches; Winnie the Pooh: Exploring a Classic; The Cloth that Changed the World: India’s Painted and Printed Cottons; and Egyptian Mummies: Ancient Lives, New Discoveries, the ROM is well positioned to continue its role as a leading destination for visitors from here and around the world.

“I have been an enthusiastic ROM visitor most of my life, and in recent years have tried to make a contribution as a member of the Governors and through the Bishop White Committee,” says Stephen Bowman. “It is a great privilege now to be given the opportunity to contribute in this new and very exciting way.”

The ROM is an agency of the Government of Ontario. The Board of Trustees is the governing authority for the Museum, responsible for its policies, its operational continuity, and the collections and other assets which the Museum holds in trust for the people of Ontario. The Board consists of 21 Trustees – 15 provincially appointed, three ex-officio members, and three elected by ROM members. Trustees are volunteers who are dedicated to public service and the ROM’s wellbeing and long-term stability.

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ROM MEDIA CONTACT
Sally Tindal
AVP, Communications & Publishing
Royal Ontario Museum
stindal@rom.on.ca
416.586.5858

           

ABOUT THE ROM
Opened in 1914, the Royal Ontario Museum showcases art, culture and nature from around the world and across the ages. Among the top 10 cultural institutions in North America, Canada’s largest and most comprehensive museum is home to a world-class collection of 13 million art objects and natural history specimens, featured in 40 gallery and exhibition spaces. As the country’s preeminent field research institute and an international leader in new and original findings, the ROM plays a vital role in advancing our understanding of the artistic, cultural and natural world. Combining its original heritage architecture with the contemporary Daniel Libeskind-designed Michael Lee-Chin Crystal, the ROM serves as a national landmark, and a dynamic cultural destination in the heart of Toronto for all to enjoy.