Meridian is pleased to announce that Gail Harding was elected by the Board of Directors as Meridian’s new Board Chair. Harding was first elected to the Meridian Board of Directors in 2019 and has since served on the Audit and Finance Committee, Governance Committee, Nominating Committee, and Risk Committee.
“I am honoured to be elected Chair of the Meridian Credit Union Board of Directors. I would like to thank Suanne Nielsen for her leadership and dedication during her time as Chair, and for her contributions to Meridian’s Board. I am also pleased to welcome Michael Lomas and Rick Lunny as newly elected Directors, and I look forward to working closely with Jay-Ann Gilfoy, the executive team and my fellow Directors as we continue to support Meridian’s strategic priorities and long term success,” said Gail Harding.
Prior to her retirement in 2018, Harding served as Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary at Canadian Western Bank Financial Group, with responsibility for legal, governance, regulatory compliance and ethics. She is an active community and professional volunteer and has received several honours, including the Canadian General Counsel Award, the Women in Law Leadership Award and the King’s Counsel designation.
Suanne Nielsen, who has served as Board Chair since 2024 and joined the Meridian Board in 2021, has resigned from the Board effective April 24, 2026, due to health reasons.
“I would like to extend my sincere thanks to my fellow Directors and the Meridian management team for their support during my time as Chair. It has been a privilege to serve the Board, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked alongside such a dedicated group in support of Meridian and its members,” said Suanne Nielsen.
Meridian’s Annual General Meeting was held on April 23, 2026. In advance of the meeting, Meridian members participated in a Director election process, with voting held from March 24 to April 14, 2026.
Following the vote, the following Directors were elected by the membership for three year terms running from 2026 to 2029: Michael Lomas (newly elected), Rick Lunny (newly elected), Upkar Arora (re elected), Hari Panday (re elected). Departing Directors Jacqueline Beaurivage and Larry Doran were thanked for their dedication and service to the Board.