Governor General appoints 6 Concordians to the Order of Canada

The honourees are recognized for their contributions to sustainability, social justice, finance, journalism and music

By Kay Pettigrew, BA 22

Six honorees of the Order of Canada, featuring their headshots with a "50" emblem in the corner.

Pictured clockwise from top left: Bruce A. Laurie, Joyce Napier, Kent Nagano, Frances M. Shaver, Myrna Lashley, and Monique F. Leroux

Six Concordians are among the most recent appointees to the Order of Canada who were announced this June. The country’s top honours are bestowed by Canada’s Governor General, Mary Simon, in recognition of exceptional and continuous contributions to the country.

Honourees are recognized at three levels: Companion, Officer and Member. Learn more about the distinguished Concordians and their accomplishments.

Companion

Woman with shoulder length hair smiles for the camera in a grey and white jacket

Monique F. Leroux

Monique F. Leroux, LLD 11

Monique F. Leroux is recognized for her exceptional contributions to the world of finance. Currently a consultant for global CEO advisory firm Teneo, Leroux sits on the boards of several companies and chairs Michelin’s Corporate Social Responsibility Committee and BCE/BELL’s Governance Committee.

Throughout her career, Leroux has broken gender barriers in business. As the first woman to head a major financial institution in Canada as president and CEO, she steered Desjardins Group through the 2008 financial crisis to become an internationally award-winning institution. She was also the first female president of the Ordre des comptables agréés du Québec.

In 2011, Leroux received an honorary doctorate from Concordia for her “accomplishments and leadership in management, leadership, accounting and governance.” Previously an Officer of the Order of Canada, she was made a Companion on April 17, 2024.

Officer

Man with long salt and pepper hair smiles into the camera wearing graduation gown.

Kent Nagano

Kent Nagano, DFA 19

Kent Nagano is a renowned operatic and orchestral conductor. He is the general musical director of the Hamburg State Opera and conducts the city’s Philharmonic State Orchestra. He was named an Officer of the Order of Canada for his commitment to showcasing Canadian, Québécois and Montreal composers, premiering and commissioning their works for performance worldwide.

In addition to his overseas projects, Nagano led the Montreal Symphony Orchestra for 15 years and is now a conductor emeritus. He has been a Compagnon of the Ordre des arts et des lettres de Québec since 2017.

Members

Woman with curly blond hair wearing black jacket smiles into the camera.

Joyce Napier

Joyce Napier, BA 81

Joyce Napier is a veteran political journalist and foreign correspondent who is honoured for her contributions to Canadian journalism. She has worked with The Globe and Mail, The Canadian Press, La Presse, CBC Television and Radio-Canada — where she was the Middle East correspondent for five years — and served as Ottawa bureau chief for CTV National News until 2023. She is also “the only person to have ever served as a bureau chief for both an English- and a French-language Canadian news network.”

The daughter of Egyptian immigrants, Napier was born in Montreal, raised in Rome and speaks five languages. In May, she was named Canada’s Ambassador to the Holy See.

A woman with a green sweater and colorful jewelry smiles into the camera.

Myrna Lashley | Photo credit: Julian Haber

Myrna Lashley, BA 84

Myrna Lashley is an equity and racial justice leader, a mental-health and social justice researcher, as well as an associate professor of psychiatry at McGill University. She is honoured for her formidable work as a consultant on issues of equity, diversity and inclusion across all levels of government and with the Service de la Police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM).

Lashley was also recently named a Great Concordian for her contributions as an academic and advocate. To mark the university’s 50th anniversary in 2024, 50 standout alumni like Lashely are being recognized for their impact on their field and society.

A man in a dark jacket and pink shirt stands in front of a window smiling for the camera

Bruce A. Lourie

Bruce A. Lourie, BSc 84

A sustainability champion, Bruce A. Lourie is honoured for his research on electrification as a means to address climate change in Canada. He also serves as president of the Ivey Foundation, a private charity that seeks to transition Canada to a net-zero economy.

Lourie has been instrumental in the founding of more than a dozen organizations in support of climate justice, and has helped to establish the Ontario Greenbelt. He was also a significant contributor in phasing out coal-fired power plants in that province, widely considered North America’s largest climate action.

A woman with shorty grey hair wearing white collared shirt and black sweater eyes the camera.

Frances M. Shaver

A former professor in Concordia’s Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Frances M. Shaver studies the experiences of people working in the sex industry (PWSI). She has partnered with sex worker-led organizations like Stella Montreal to examine the impacts of public policies on PWSI communities and is recognized for her sensitivity, respect and support in this role.

Her work on the Sex Trade Advocacy Research project resulted in two reports for policy makers, as well as information pamphlets for sex workers. She has also spearheaded many events that connect community partners, policy makers and researchers to reduce marginalization and isolation for PWSI.