Christie Stephenson

Christie was elected to the Vancity board in 2020. She brings to Vancity a long history with credit unions and the financial services sector, as well as deep expertise in values-driven business and governance.

Since 2016, Christie has been the Executive Director of UBC Sauder Business School’s Peter P. Dhillon Centre for Business Ethics, which has repeatedly been recognized by the BC Business Magazine’s Business of Good Awards, and for which she received the Clean50 award for outstanding contributions to clean capitalism in Canada. Prior to joining UBC Sauder, she spent 15 years at highly respected values-driven investment firms Jantzi Research Associates (Sustainalytics), NEI Investments (Ethical Funds), and Rally Assets (Purpose Capital).

Christie also has more than two decades of diverse director experience, serving on the boards of organizations from early-stage companies to large mature entities, in a range of industries, and with both business-to-consumer and business-to-business operating models. This has included private companies, reporting issuers, cooperatives, non-profit organizations, university governance bodies, and a multi-employer pension plan. She has served on numerous audit and governance committees, as well as risk, technology, human resources, nominations, special purpose and other board committees.

Christie is a frequent media commentator on business, governance and investing topics whose views are covered regularly by major TV, print and radio media. She is also a member of the Climate Governance Experts Network of the Canadian Climate Law Initiative, the Metro Vancouver Zero Emissions Innovation Centre’s investment committee, the Watershed Security Fund of BC’s investment working group, the BC Securities Commission’s Corporate Finance Stakeholder Forum and the International Sustainable Finance Faculty Consortium, as well as being a fellow of the Independent Director Initiative and an advisor with Rally Assets. She has served as a judge for Governance Professionals of Canada’s Excellence in Governance Awards, the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada’s Corporate Reporting Awards and the Canadian Investment Review's Pension Leadership Awards.

Christie has delivered governance training through Governance Professionals of Canada, the Canadian Credit Union Association, UBC Sauder Executive Education and Directors College; taught environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing at UBC Sauder Business School and Robert H. Lee Graduate School; and educated a variety of professionals through their industry associations including accountants, lawyers and investment managers. She is a frequent guest lecturer at law and business schools, and has spoken at over 100 conferences and events hosted by organizations such as the Institute of Corporate Directors, International Corporate Governance Network, Director Forum, the CFA Institute and Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada, among many others.

Throughout her career, Christie has maintained her roots in the credit union movement, which has included serving on committees of Metro Credit Union and Alterna Savings and the board of the Ottawa Women’s Credit Union in Ontario; the Governance and Conduct Review Committee of BlueShore Financial in BC; and Credit Union Central of Canada’s Cooperative Social Responsibility Committee nationally.

Christie holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science from the University of Victoria, a Masters of Education in Administration and Policy Studies from McGill University, has the Institute of Corporate Directors ICD.D designation and was awarded an Advanced Trust Management Standards Certificate of Achievement by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans.

She lives on Coast Salish territory in Vancouver and speaks both Canada’s official languages.

Tenure

• Elected in 2020
• Currently serving a second term (2023-2026)

Committees

• Chair, Equity and People Committee
• Member, Audit Committee
• Member, Nominations and Election Committee

Other board appointments

• Director, Central1