Ian Thomas was named president and CEO of BlueShore Financial, effective Nov. 14, 2023. Thomas succeeds Chris Catliff, who announced his retirement in March 2023.

Ian Thomas was named President and CEO of BlueShore Financial, effective Nov. 14, 2023. The selection follows a comprehensive national search by the board of directors. Ian succeeds Chris Catliff, who announced his retirement in March 2023 and is retiring at the end of September. During the six-week transition period, Deb Best, chief human resources officer, will serve as interim CEO.

“Ian brings to BlueShore a long track record of leadership in driving solid financial results, building high-performance teams, and deepening member engagement throughout his career within the Canadian financial services sector,” Diana Chan, chair of the board of directors, BlueShore Financial, said. “Ian has demonstrable strength in areas important to successfully leading the organization, including client experience, risk management, and technology innovation.”

Thomas has a breadth of executive experience with large and mid-sized Canadian credit unions, with most recently serving as CEO of Kindred Credit Union for nearly five years. Prior to that, he held several executive roles during his ten years at coast capital savings including their inaugural chief risk officer, vice-president retail and wealth, and chief member experience officer, in addition to his extensive risk advisory experience at Deloitte.

“BlueShore Financial has a solid reputation for its premium client experience, deep financial expertise, and differentiated strategy and brand, matched by an unwavering commitment to client and employee well-being,” Thomas said. “I’m honoured to join BlueShore and work alongside the board and management team to lead the organization to long-term sustainability and success.”