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International Federation of Health Plans (iFHP) appoints new Chair:

Bernard Lord, Chief Executive Officer of Medavie

November 17, 2021

The International Federation of Health Plans (iFHP) announced today the appointment of Bernard Lord to Chair of the Federation, effective October 28, 2021.

Bernard succeeds Willem van Duin who has served as Chair of iFHP since 2019 and has been part of the iFHP’s Council of Management since 2012. Willem is stepping down following his retirement from Dutch Financial Services Group Achmea earlier this year.

“I am honoured to take on this role at such a pivotal time for the industry and health care delivery,” said Bernard Lord, Chair of the Board of iFHP and Chief Executive Officer, Medavie. “Over its 50-year history, the Federation has championed best practices in a sector that touches the lives of millions of people across the world. In times like these, improving the health and wellbeing of people across our communities, globally, is more important than ever.”

Bernard Lord is a prominent Canadian leader with several years of experience focused on improving healthcare service and delivery across the public and private sectors. Since 2008, Bernard Lord has served on the Board of Medavie, a Canadian healthcare company that oversees Medavie Blue Cross and Medavie Health Services, and in 2016 he was appointed as its Chief Executive Officer. From 2008 to 2016, Bernard was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association and has held various elected positions, including Premier of New Brunswick from 1999 to 2006. He is a graduate of l’Université de Moncton and continues to be a member of the New Brunswick Law Society and the Canadian Bar Association.

“The Federation will greatly benefit from Bernard’s significant business experience and proven track record of leading innovation initiatives across a number of industries,” said Chris Watney, Chief Executive Officer, iFHP. “We’d like to thank Willem for his outstanding contributions to building a platform where the world’s health leaders connect to improve the health of the communities we serve.”

With an alliance of organizations across the global health insurance sector, the iFHP’s vision is to make positive change through engaging members in discussion on critical real-world scenarios and possible solutions.