John Thompson (TD banker)
Encyclopedia
John M. Thompson is the non-executive Chairman of the Board of Toronto-Dominion Bank
Financial Corporation (TDBFC). He has held the position of Director at TDBFC since 1988 and has been chairman of the board since 2003.
He is also the retired Vice Chairman of the Board of IBM
Corporation, a position he held from 2000-2002. Thompson is also a board member at Royal Philips Electronics N.V. (NYSE:PHG) and The Thomson Corporation (NYSE:TOC). He is also Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Hospital for Sick Children
and a director of the Atlantic Salmon Federation. He is a past director of the Hertz
Corporation, the Robert Mondavi Corporation
, the European Finance Foundation, the Conference Board of Canada
and the Canadian Business Council for National Issues. He served on three Ontario Government Councils for education reform, human resources reform and industrial policy.
Thompson began his IBM
career in Canada as a systems engineer in 1966. There, he held a variety of management jobs, before being elected President and Chief Executive Officer of IBM Canada, Ltd. in 1986. In January 1991, Thompson moved to the United States to become Corporate Vice President of Marketing, charged with developing IBM's strategy for entering the services business, now a $60 billion dollar operation for IBM
. In October 1993, he became Senior Vice President of IBM's Server Group, responsible for mainframe and midrange computers. From January 1995 until August 2002, he was the Senior Vice President responsible for forming IBM's Software Group, after which time he was elected Vice Chairman of the IBM Board.
Mr. Thompson holds an undergraduate degree in engineering science from the University of Western Ontario
where he joined the Kappa Alpha Society
, and has completed the Executive Management programs at the Richard Ivey School at The University of Western Ontario and the Kellogg Graduate School of Business at Northwestern University
. In March 2008, he was named as the 20th Chancellor of The University of Western Ontario
. He was officially installed as Chancellor at the Fall Convocation in 2008 and will serve a four-year term through 2012.
He currently lives in Toronto and is married with three grown children. In his leisure time, he enjoys being with his grandchildren, fly-fishing, boating and golf.
Toronto-Dominion Bank
The Toronto-Dominion Bank , is the second-largest bank in Canada by market capitalization and based on assets. It is also the sixth largest bank in North America. Commonly known as TD and operating as TD Bank Group, the bank was created in 1955 through the merger of the Bank of Toronto and the...
Financial Corporation (TDBFC). He has held the position of Director at TDBFC since 1988 and has been chairman of the board since 2003.
He is also the retired Vice Chairman of the Board of IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
Corporation, a position he held from 2000-2002. Thompson is also a board member at Royal Philips Electronics N.V. (NYSE:PHG) and The Thomson Corporation (NYSE:TOC). He is also Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Hospital for Sick Children
Hospital for Sick Children
The Hospital for Sick Children – is a major paediatric centre for the Greater Toronto Area, serving patients up to age 18. Located on University Avenue in Downtown Toronto, SickKids is part of the city’s Discovery District, a critical mass of scientists and entrepreneurs who are focused on...
and a director of the Atlantic Salmon Federation. He is a past director of the Hertz
Hertz
The hertz is the SI unit of frequency defined as the number of cycles per second of a periodic phenomenon. One of its most common uses is the description of the sine wave, particularly those used in radio and audio applications....
Corporation, the Robert Mondavi Corporation
Robert Mondavi
Robert Gerald Mondavi was a leading California vineyard operator whose technical improvements and marketing strategies brought worldwide recognition for the wines of the Napa Valley in California. From an early period, Mondavi aggressively promoted labeling wines varietally rather than...
, the European Finance Foundation, the Conference Board of Canada
Conference Board of Canada
The Conference Board of Canada is a not-for-profit Canadian organization dedicated to researching and analyzing economic trends, as well as organizational performance and public policy issues....
and the Canadian Business Council for National Issues. He served on three Ontario Government Councils for education reform, human resources reform and industrial policy.
Thompson began his IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
career in Canada as a systems engineer in 1966. There, he held a variety of management jobs, before being elected President and Chief Executive Officer of IBM Canada, Ltd. in 1986. In January 1991, Thompson moved to the United States to become Corporate Vice President of Marketing, charged with developing IBM's strategy for entering the services business, now a $60 billion dollar operation for IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
. In October 1993, he became Senior Vice President of IBM's Server Group, responsible for mainframe and midrange computers. From January 1995 until August 2002, he was the Senior Vice President responsible for forming IBM's Software Group, after which time he was elected Vice Chairman of the IBM Board.
Mr. Thompson holds an undergraduate degree in engineering science from the University of Western Ontario
University of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...
where he joined the Kappa Alpha Society
Kappa Alpha Society
The Kappa Alpha Society , founded in 1825, was the progenitor of the modern fraternity system in North America. It was the first of the fraternities which would eventually become known as the Union Triad...
, and has completed the Executive Management programs at the Richard Ivey School at The University of Western Ontario and the Kellogg Graduate School of Business at Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
. In March 2008, he was named as the 20th Chancellor of The University of Western Ontario
University of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...
. He was officially installed as Chancellor at the Fall Convocation in 2008 and will serve a four-year term through 2012.
He currently lives in Toronto and is married with three grown children. In his leisure time, he enjoys being with his grandchildren, fly-fishing, boating and golf.