Huron University Holds In-Person Convocation and Confers Two Honorary Doctorates
June 20, 2022
LONDON, ON – Huron University today held its first in-person convocation for the Faculty of Arts and Social Science (FASS) since the beginning of the pandemic, celebrating the achievements of a new class of graduates.
Today’s ceremony also marked the first FASS convocation in the Huron’s new 400-seat theatre, a signature facility in the Frank Holmes Centre for Leadership, Ethics & Entrepreneurship.
“Over the past two years, our students have worked incredibly hard to demonstrate a commitment to their academic success and the Huron community in the face of extremely difficult circumstances,” said Dr. Barry Craig, President and Vice-Chancellor of Huron University. “To be able to celebrate them in-person, amongst family and in this brand new space seems a fitting way to honour all they have accomplished.”
As part of the convocation ceremony, Huron also conferred two Honorary Doctorate Degrees to Kathleen Taylor, Chair of the Board of Royal Bank of Canada, and Timothy Duncanson, Partner at Kicking Horse Capital, Inc.
“Katie and Tim are two outstanding examples of leaders who believe in putting community and civic engagement at the heart of what they do. I hope their words will act as inspiration to our graduates as they prepare for the next phase in their careers,” said Craig.
Kathleen Taylor
![](https://huronu.ca/wp-content/uploads/Katie-Taylor-Headshot-_6573-214x300.jpg)
Kathleen (Katie) Taylor is Chair of the Board of the Royal Bank of Canada, Vice-Chair of the Adecco Group and a director of the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Air Canada. She serves as Chair of Altas Partners, a Toronto-based private equity investment firm. Ms. Taylor is also the Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Hospital for Sick Children, the immediate past Chair and a member of the Board of the SickKids Foundation, and a Co-Chair of the SickKids Capital Campaign. She is the former President and Chief Executive Officer of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.
Ms. Taylor’s accolades for business achievement include the Schulich School of Business Award for Outstanding Executive Leadership and the inaugural Medal for Career Achievement from the Hennick Centre for Business and Law at York University. She has been inducted into the Canadian Marketing Hall of Legends and was named to Canada’s Most Powerful Women Hall of Fame by the Women’s Executive Network (WXN). In 2016, Ms. Taylor received the Governance Professionals of Canada Peter Dey Governance Achievement Award and was made a Member of the Order of Canada.
Ms. Taylor holds an M.B.A. from the Schulich School of Business, a law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the University of Toronto. She has also received an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from the University of Toronto, McGill University, York University and Trent University and an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Mount Saint Vincent University.
Tim Duncanson
![](https://huronu.ca/wp-content/uploads/TimDuncanson-250x300.jpg)
Tim Duncanson is a partner at Kicking Horse Capital Inc. which makes concentrated investments in public equities, private debt and distressed securities.
Prior to joining Kicking Horse Capital, he was a Senior Advisor to the Deputy Minister at the Department of Finance Canada. Mr. Duncanson was involved in both policy design and implementation, most often where commercial or inter-government negotiations were required. Notable policy initiatives on which Mr. Duncanson took a leadership role included: the Canada Pension Plan enhancement, the Canada Infrastructure Bank, the Wataynikaneyap Power transmission grid in Northern Ontario, the acquisition of TransMountain Corporation, and the federal government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prior to his appointment with the federal government, Mr. Duncanson spent over 16 years at Onex Corporation. As a Managing Director he was responsible for sourcing, negotiating and managing investments in a variety of industries. Before joining Onex, Mr. Duncanson worked in mergers and acquisitions at Lazard Frères in New York, and as an investment analyst at Mutual Life of Canada in Waterloo, Ontario. As a past chair of the Executive Board at Huron University College, he serves as a lifetime member of its Corporation.
Mr. Duncanson has a BA in History from Huron University College at Western, an MPP from the John F. Kennedy School of Government and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He holds a Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Media Contact:
Manager, Communications
Huron at Western