Past Chair John Wilson named new CEO of The Chamber
Past Chair John Wilson named new CEO of The Chamber
Private-sector experience and deep understanding of Chamber’s role in Greater Victoria cited as reasons for hiring well-known community leader
VICTORIA, BC – The Board of Directors of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce has selected John Wilson to become the organization’s next CEO, effective July 15.
Wilson is a familiar name in business circles as CEO of Wilson’s Group of Companies, as well as a former Chair of The Chamber’s Board of Directors. Wilson will take over from current Chamber CEO Bruce Williams, who announced he was moving on from the role in December.
“I’m humbled to be offered this position, and grateful for the opportunity to serve our community by continuing my work with The Chamber,” Wilson said. “This is an organization that aligns with the values I’ve always brought to business. I want to thank Bruce Williams for his amazing tenure and recognize him for his extraordinary job raising the profile of The Chamber. I won’t try to fill his shoes, but I will carry on his success, and I look forward to doing my part to realize the vision of our amazing volunteer Board of Directors.”
Current Chamber Chair Christina Clarke said Wilson was chosen because of his experience running a business as well as his connections to decision makers in our region.
“We are the Voice of Business, and our members want us to continue speaking up for Greater Victoria businesses,” Clarke said. “John is a well-known business leader who cares for the community, who contributes to the community in everything he does. The fact he’s so familiar with The Chamber’s work and the professional team in place means he can hit the ground running and continue to champion our members and our business community.”
“I can’t imagine anyone more qualified than John Wilson to be assuming the role of CEO at The Chamber,” outgoing CEO Bruce Williams said. “John served for 13 years on the Chamber Board, three of those as Chair in the tumultuous years of the COVID 19 pandemic recovery. I found great value and insight in our collaboration through those difficult times. John was born and raised in Greater Victoria and has a unique perspective on our local economy. Family has always been John’s priority and we are proud to welcome him into The Chamber family.”
About John Wilson
John Wilson has more than 35 years of experience in the ground transportation and tourism industry, and has served on many boards and committees focused on helping business and the wider community. John is Past Chair of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce, Chair of Motor Coach Canada, Co-chair of the Victoria Hockey Legacy Society, Canadian Representative for United Motorcoach Association, Past President of Victoria’s SKAL Club, Board Member of the City of Victoria’s Economic Development and Downtown Prosperity Task Force, Board Member of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada and a committee member of Destination Greater Victoria’s Destination Management and Transportation, as well as the Greater Victoria Sport Tourism Commission Committee.
About Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce
Since 1863, The Chamber has served Greater Victoria by working together to build good business and great community for all through advocacy, networking, professional development, and innovative services as changing times require. In 2020, the Chamber Champions initiative added a powerful resource to provide leadership and guidance to our organization. Current Champions are: Acera Insurance, BC Ferries, Berwick Retirement Communities, Canadian Western Bank, Camosun College, CHEK Media Group, CIBC, ColdStar Solutions, Edwards Heritage Consulting, H2 Accelerator, Knappett Projects, Mike Geric Construction, PARC Retirement Living, RBC, Scotiabank, Tecnet Canada, Times Colonist, TD Commercial Banking, TELUS Business, Times Colonist and the University of Victoria. Find out more at victoriachamber.ca.
Media Contact:
Jim Zeeben, Communication Director
Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce
communications@victoriachamber.ca
